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Chapter 145 - Chapter 146: Mixed Team Exhibition Match

Wang Dong pondered Zhou Sicheng's unique status. Could it be that Zhou Sicheng had become the team captain due to his special relationship with Shrek Academy's Dragon God Douluo?

Even without considering anything else, just based on the strength that Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao had just demonstrated, the two of them alone could easily lead Shrek to another championship title.

So then, was Zhou Sicheng appointed as captain merely for appearances?

No wonder Elder Xuan had said that this year's reserve team would have many opportunities to shine. It turns out that such monstrous individuals were hiding among the main team all along.

A Soul Sage! Even on the continent at large, a Soul Sage was considered a pillar of strength—let alone someone under the age of twenty!

Outside of Shrek, they had never even heard of someone so young reaching such a level.

Looking at Dai Yueheng and the others, Wang Dong couldn't help but fear—what if there were even more Soul Sages among them?

Now she understood why her two fathers had insisted on sending her to Shrek. She had thought that Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue were already astonishing talents of the Outer Court…

But she hadn't expected the Inner Court to be on a whole different level of absurdity.

A Soul Sage under twenty years old? Even the current Dragon God Douluo of Shrek hadn't been more than that back in the day, right?

Was Shrek about to produce two more "Dragon God Douluos"?

Elder Xuan calmly watched the changing expressions of the reserve members. Just the introduction of the main team had left them in shock.

It had also taught them the true meaning of "there's always someone stronger, always a sky beyond the sky."

Noticing the stunned looks on their faces, Dai Yueheng's lips curled upward as he introduced himself:

"Dai Yueheng, member of Shrek's Battle Team. Martial Soul: White Tiger. Level 64. Power-attack type."

Hearing Dai Yueheng's level finally brought some relief to Xu Sanshi and the others, but even then, a Soul Emperor of such a young age was still someone worthy of admiration.

Thankfully, aside from Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao, the rest of the team seemed within a range they could at least comprehend.

Gongyang Mo spoke next:

"Gongyang Mo, member of Shrek's Battle Team. Martial Soul: Rainbow Dragon. Level 59. Support type."

"Ling Luocheng, member of Shrek's Battle Team. Martial Soul: Ice. Level 59. Control type."

"Dugu Xianmeng, member of Shrek's Battle Team. Martial Soul: Green Scale Serpent. Level 55. Control type."

The rest, like Gongyang Mo, were all at the Soul King level. Even the lowest was at level 55, the same as Zhou Sicheng.

Once all the main team members had finished their introductions, Xu Sanshi and the others composed themselves and silently committed each senior's details to memory.

Right now, standing before them were all individuals under twenty years old—and all over level 50.

And two of them were even above level 70—Soul Sages. Could someone really reach such a stage before the age of twenty?

Although the seven reserve team members were undoubtedly top-tier talents among their peers in the Inner Court, being faced with an entire team composed of Soul Kings, Soul Emperors, and even Soul Sages had completely stunned them.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that these seven main team members were the absolute elite among their generation on the entire continent.

With a lineup like this entering the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament, was it even possible to lose?

At this moment, they finally began to understand Elder Xuan's earlier words—that this year was special, and reserve members would have more chances to prove themselves.

With two Soul Sages anchoring the team, they wouldn't even have to worry much about the rest.

But what still baffled Xu Sanshi and the others was—how could a team have a two-ring gap among its members? How could someone this young already be at seven rings?

More importantly, how had Zhou Sicheng, with only five soul rings, become captain? Even the powerful "Angel Goddess" at level 75 and the "Flame Berserker" at level 72 were relegated to mere support roles?

Elder Xuan finally spoke, his voice calm:

"I know what you youngsters are thinking. Zhou Sicheng has only five soul rings and is the lowest-ranked among the main team—so why is he the captain?"

Xu Sanshi couldn't help but blurt out, "I don't mean any disrespect toward Senior Zhou—we're friends, after all—but I really don't understand."

Elder Xuan chuckled lightly. "Even if you are friends, the Inner Court is fundamentally different from the Outer Court. Anyone who enters the Inner Court is already a monster among monsters. And those who become part of the Shrek Seven Devils are even more terrifying—monsters among monsters among monsters."

"As for Zhou Sicheng—he's a monster among monsters among monsters. Do you understand now?"

Hearing Elder Xuan's words, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong began to grasp the idea, but they still couldn't fully comprehend what kind of "monster" could suppress a Soul Sage while still being a Soul King.

After all, the Martial Soul Avatar was a major milestone. The gap between those who possessed it and those who didn't was vast. That was common knowledge.

No matter how much of a genius Zhou Sicheng was, could he really cross that boundary?

Elder Xuan didn't elaborate further. He simply turned to Ye Guyi and the others.

"What do you all think of Zhou Sicheng as team captain?"

Ye Guyi, Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Gongyang Mo, Ling Luocheng, and Dugu Xianmeng all replied in unison:

"There's no better choice."

This scene once again shocked the clueless Xu Sanshi and his companions. Their senior teammates were united in their support.

Elder Xuan's voice turned cold.

"Zhou Sicheng's background is the academy's top secret. You do not have clearance to know more. From the moment you joined the reserve team, every mission and training from now on—everything and everyone you encounter—falls under absolute confidentiality. Speak a single word of it to anyone, and you'll not only be expelled, but the academy will also hunt you down and silence you permanently."

At those words, Xu Sanshi and the others instantly became serious, understanding the gravity of the situation.

Even though countless questions still lingered in their minds, no one dared speak again.

For Elder Xuan to say something like that—it meant everything. They weren't stupid. The implications were clear.

Elder Xuan continued, "Now that you've all been introduced, the next training task is designed to help you familiarize yourselves better with each other: a friendly exhibition match. In battle, you'll learn each other's abilities far more effectively."

Xu Sanshi almost fainted on the spot.

"Elder Xuan… surely you're joking? The strongest of us only has four rings. You want us to fight the main team?"

Elder Xuan glared at him.

"When did I say it would be main team versus reserve team?"

Xu Sanshi blinked. "Huh?"

Elder Xuan gave him a sidelong glance.

"In real matches, you won't always be paired with familiar teammates. There could be substitutions at any time. So today's exhibition match will be mixed: main and reserve team members will be reorganized into two new teams."

"This will be your first time cooperating together, and will test your adaptability and coordination under pressure."

Finally understanding, Xu Sanshi and the others nodded. Now this sounded interesting.

Elder Xuan added, "Sicheng, you're not allowed to use Class 7 Soul Tools."

The moment those words left his mouth, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong's eyes widened again.

They had known little about Zhou Sicheng, but hearing the words 'Class 7 Soul Tool' was too shocking.

They understood soul tools now—how could a five-ringed Soul Master be restricted from using a Class 7 tool?

No wonder Zhou Sicheng was the captain. He was a Class 7 Soul Engineer with only five rings? What kind of monster was this?!

Elder Xuan ignored their stunned expressions and continued:

"Guyi, Xiaotao—you two are also restricted to six-ring power only. Everyone else has no restrictions."

Zhou Sicheng, Ye Guyi, and Ma Xiaotao nodded. "Understood."

Elder Xuan said, "Sicheng, Guyi—you each lead a team. Pick your members using a 1-2-1-2 selection order."

Zhou Sicheng and Ye Guyi exchanged a look, then separated with mutual understanding.

Zhou Sicheng smiled gently. "Ladies first."

Ye Guyi didn't hesitate. She immediately chose Ma Xiaotao.

Even though both she and Ma Xiaotao were restricted from using their Martial Soul Avatars or Class 7 soul tools, their soul power foundation was still undeniable. Giving Ma Xiaotao to Zhou Sicheng would be a grave mistake.

Zhou Sicheng turned to Gongyang Mo. Gongyang Mo grinned proudly.

"Of course Captain would choose me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gongyang Mo noticed Ma Xiaotao's icy gaze and quickly explained, "I didn't mean anything else, sisters..."

Watching Gongyang Mo's series of gestures and hearing his voice, Xu Sanshi and the others were suddenly struck with realization.

"He's a guy?"

Xu Sanshi couldn't hold it in and nearly vomited. Just a moment ago, he had mistaken him for a beautiful senior sister... Who would've thought he was such a sissy?!

Disgusting...

Gongyang Mo looked helpless as he said, "Junior, don't misunderstand. I'm a full-blooded straight man. I look this good purely because my martial soul is too pretty—it affects my appearance."

Upon hearing this, Wang Dong looked at Gongyang Mo with visible confidence. A martial soul that pretty? Could it possibly be more beautiful than her Goddess of Light Butterfly?

Ye Guyi continued, "Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen."

When she chose Ma Xiaotao, she had already anticipated that Zhou Sicheng would pick Gongyang Mo, so she had her plan set. She directly chose the two high-spirit-power teammates: Dai Yueheng and Ling Luochen.

Zhou Sicheng then picked two control-type soul masters: Xianmeng and A'Xuan.

As the remaining students stood waiting, Ye Guyi's beautiful eyes scanned between Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei, hesitating. After a moment, she looked at Bei Bei and said, "Bei Bei."

Zhou Sicheng didn't hesitate and chose Xu Sanshi.

Ye Guyi's final picks were He Caitou and Long Xianyu.

That left Jiang Nannan and Wang Dong for Zhou Sicheng's team by default.

Wang Dong wasn't at all surprised to be the last one picked. After all, she was the only Soul Elder present, with the lowest cultivation level.

Jiang Nannan was also one of the last, but like Wang Dong, her mindset was solid. Considering how many monsters she was up against, her situation wasn't much better than Wang Dong's.

Elder Xuan took note of Ye Guyi's team lineup and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Even though her team lacked a support-type, aside from Ling Luochen being control-type, the rest were all offense-type soul masters.

Long Xianyu may have been agility-attack type, but his explosive offense surpassed most standard offense types. His agility only reflected in his combat style.

From the start, Ye Guyi had intended to go all-in on a high-impact assault strategy!

She knew Zhou Sicheng was incredibly powerful—and so did Ma Xiaotao and the others.

So when the entire team ended up being offense-type, there was no need for any long discussions. They immediately understood the strategy.

Ling Luochen would take control of the field, and everyone else would go all out with relentless offense!

Even without a support-type booster, their two Soul Sages gave them a significant edge overall.

Zhou Sicheng's team, on the other hand, had a very balanced composition. He himself was offense-type, with two control-types—Cao Jinxuan and Dugu Xianmeng—a defense-type in Xu Sanshi, an agility-type in Jiang Nannan, support from Gongyang Mo, and another offense-type in Wang Dong.

While it looked like their spirit power levels were overall lower—they didn't get either of the Soul Sages, and even the only Soul Emperor was on the opposing side—Gongyang Mo's powerful support abilities could boost their combat strength by at least thirty percent, if not more.

Most importantly, their balanced team composition gave them a higher margin of error. If they could split up and take down the enemy offense-types one by one, they would still have a significant advantage.

However, Xu Sanshi, Jiang Nannan, and Wang Dong didn't quite agree. After all, they had no real understanding of these three senior students.

All they could see was that their team had the lowest spirit power. Even if Zhou Sicheng was the captain of the Shrek Seven Devils and incredibly powerful, the opposing team had four core members!

Fight? Fight how?

Still, the three of them didn't say anything out loud—they were curious to see what kind of magic Zhou Sicheng truly possessed.

Elder Xuan took a swig from his large gourd of wine and chuckled, "Very well. Since both sides have picked their teams, I'll give you ten minutes to formulate your strategies. After that, the match begins."

With Elder Xuan's words, both teams of seven began to separate, each retreating to opposite ends of the assessment area.

Surrounding Ye Guyi were Ma Xiaotao, Dai Yueheng, Ling Luochen, Bei Bei, He Caitou, and Long Xianyu. Each one briefly shared their own abilities and their knowledge of the opposing team.

After the discussion, Ye Guyi looked at everyone and spoke directly, "Our tactics are simple. Once Cao Jinxuan uses his full control abilities, he'll be out of soul power. He may strike first, but once we endure it, the tempo will shift to our side."

"After that, Ling Luochen will freeze the field with Ice Explosion. Everyone else goes all in—find your target and bombard them."

"Gongyang Mo's Rainbow Dragon can fly, and combined with his soul tools, he'll be very annoying. Xiaotao, take him out."

Ma Xiaotao nodded. "Leave Gongyang Mo and that Wang Dong to me."

Ye Guyi continued, "Dai Yueheng, you'll hold off Sicheng. I'll deal with Xianmeng first. If we let her poison spread, aside from me and Xiaotao, none of you can resist it."

He Caitou looked confused. "But the Green Scaled Snake is just a fifty-fifth-ranked soul master. Can't Senior Dai or Sister Ling handle her?"

Dai Yueheng explained, "Her poison is incredibly potent. Once it spreads, only the vice-captain's purification power and Xiaotao's fire can cleanse it. The rest of us—including myself and Ling Luochen—won't be able to handle it."

"Even though Cao Jinxuan only has four rings, his control abilities are strong enough to allow Dugu Xianmeng to fully unleash her poison. We have to deal with her before going on the offensive."

He Caitou nodded, now understanding.

Ling Luochen felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. If her ice element had reached the ultimate level, she wouldn't fear Dugu Xianmeng's poison at all. Unfortunately, she was just one step short of that threshold.

That single step was like an unbridgeable chasm.

"Bei Bei, take on Xu Sanshi. Long Xianyu, handle Jiang Nannan. He Caitou, once the battle starts, unleash all your soul tools and begin with a full-area bombardment. Then, target Zhou Sicheng directly."

He Caitou nodded firmly.

Ye Guyi looked at the team. "Once I take down Dugu Xianmeng and Cao Jinxuan, I'll come to support you. Without those two controllers, even if Sicheng is still standing—with only five rings and a Grade 6 soul tool—he won't be able to face all of us alone."

Everyone nodded, mentally locking in on their assigned opponents.

Dai Yueheng's eyes were burning with anticipation. He had already reached the sixty-fourth rank. Though he still couldn't beat Zhou Sicheng, who wielded the Holy Light Dragon and was proficient with soul tools, he was confident he could hold his own for a while.

As long as he endured the initial assault, and Ye Guyi and Ma Xiaotao eliminated their targets, victory would be within reach.

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