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In response to Yang Xiong's comments, Ning Fengzhi glanced at Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang finally spoke up: "Yang Xiong, I've always known you've been holding back your strength. Based on our current capabilities, it might be difficult for us to defeat the Spirit Hall team. However, I have an idea that could turn the tide—at the very least, we can't let the Spirit Hall continue to act so arrogantly."
Yang Xiong became somewhat interested: "Master, do you have a good plan? Could it be that you have some tactics you haven't revealed yet?"
Yu Xiaogang's expression darkened: "It's not about tactics. From the current situation, Team One of Tian Dou should have four Soul Ancestors who can participate in the finals. At that time, I'll transfer you, Tang San, and Dai Mubai into one team. That way, we'll have the equivalent of seven Soul Ancestors' combat power, which will definitely allow us to compete with the Spirit Hall team."
Yang Xiong thought carefully: "That's indeed an idea. However, none of us are auxiliary soul masters, and the highest soul power level is Yu Tianheng's Level 43, which is still eight or nine levels lower than the Spirit Hall members. The gap is still too large."
"Not to mention, there's no synergy between Team One and Team Two. If we were to go on stage like this, things would likely get chaotic."
Yu Xiaogang nodded: "You make a valid point, and I'm aware of that. The preliminary rounds of the Soul Master Competition will be our final opportunity to build synergy. Before the finals, team adjustments are still allowed. So, I plan to transfer Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and the two brothers Shi Mo and Shi Mo into Team Two of Tian Dou. This way, our strength will increase significantly."
"However, this creates a major flaw in our lineup: we don't have an agility-type soul master. Given your speed, you could take on the role of an agility-type soul master."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiong couldn't help but complain internally. What kind of ridiculous idea was this? He had been a defensive soul master for two years, and now he was suddenly being assigned as an agility-type soul master. How was he supposed to adapt to this new tactic? And who was the idiot who suggested combining the two teams? Wouldn't this dismantle all their original coordination?
Nevertheless, Yang Xiong smiled and said: "Grandmaster, Sect Leader, rest assured. I'll do my best as an agility-type soul master."
Yu Xiaogang grew serious: "It's not just about being a good agility-type soul master—you need to unleash your full potential. Otherwise, we won't stand a chance, especially since no one knows what your soul skills are."
Yang Xiong finally nodded: "Alright. If it comes down to a critical moment, I'll reveal my soul skills. However, all my soul skills are self-enhancing, so they may not have much impact on tactics."
At this moment, Ning Fengzhi spoke again: "Xiao Xiong, I know your strength is formidable. If we win the championship, the soul bones will be divided among the top three sects. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect guarantees that one soul bone will belong to you."
Though Yang Xiong internally complained countless times, he ultimately nodded in agreement. Of the three soul bones, aside from the skull bone, he didn't really care about the other two. But given Tang San and Yu Xiaogang's tendencies, how could they possibly give him the skull bone?
After Tang San and Yu Xiaogang left, Ning Fengzhi spoke privately: "Xiao Xiong, this matter is of great importance. Even if you reveal the soul bone on your person, I can ensure your safety through the sect. When you go out for training in the future, at least a Soul Douluo-level expert will protect you. Additionally, if you need any soul bones or spirit beasts, we will do our best to help you obtain them."
Yang Xiong remained silent for a while before replying: "Thank you, Sect Leader. However, I have something I want to ask you. Please consider it carefully."
Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo looked slightly puzzled: "Speak your mind. From now on, stop calling me Sect Leader—just call me Uncle Ning."
Yang Xiong's expression turned serious: "Sect Leader, you're well aware of the current situation of the top three sects. The Hao Tian Sect has long gone into seclusion, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family rarely ventures out these days. If we proceed with this plan, the Spirit Hall will surely resent us and may target us specifically. By that time, the other two sects may not have the strength to lend a hand."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's expression grew solemn, and he fell silent for a long time. Finally, he spoke faintly: "I've considered this issue as well. However, our Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect primarily consists of auxiliary soul masters, putting us at a disadvantage compared to the other two sects. Moreover, if we don't advance, we regress. Our sect is currently at its peak, and there's no turning back."
Yang Xiong nodded: "I understand, Sect Leader. I'll do my best and won't lose to others."
After Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo left, Yang Xiong couldn't help but sigh.
As the sect leader, Ning Fengzhi's perspective was far higher than his own, and his thoughts naturally differed greatly. Especially considering how he had brought the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to its zenith, Ning Fengzhi was not only a shrewd businessman but also a cunning and ambitious individual.
Looking back at the original storyline, Ning Fengzhi was constantly scheming—on one hand resisting the Spirit Hall, and on the other hand collaborating with the Tian Dou Imperial Family, even going so far as to protect Tang San and the others. These actions were all taboos in the eyes of the Spirit Hall, eventually provoking their retaliation.
Especially, everyone overlooked one crucial detail: his beloved disciple was actually a mole for the Spirit Hall. In the end, his plans backfired, and he himself became distrusted by the Tian Dou Empire. Otherwise, the position of National Teacher would never have fallen into the hands of someone as powerless as Yu Xiaogang.
…
True to form, the Tian Dou Empire acted swiftly, quickly gathering all the members of Team One and Team Two and rapidly reassigning them.
The current lineup of Team Two included Yang Xiong, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Shi Mo, Shi Mo, Ye Lingling, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong.
Poor Oscar was transferred to Team One, but with Qin Shuang accompanying him, they weren't too lonely.
Including Zhu Zhuqing in Team Two was mainly because she and Dai Mubai could perform the Netherworld White Tiger fusion skill, which might prove useful in critical moments.
Yang Xiong now understood why Dai Mubai had come to speak with him privately. This lineup was indeed strong, but compared to Star Luo Imperial Academy, there was still a gap—especially since Zhu Zhuqing lacked the strength to be a main player.
Yang Xiong couldn't help but glance at Flender. Compared to the others, Flender appeared even more despondent. Although Team Two was still called the Tian Dou Imperial Academy Shrek Team, it no longer bore any resemblance to the original Shrek team.
Especially since his direct disciple, Ma Hongjun, had been transferred to Team One—a team that lacked even a single Soul Ancestor and had very few high-level Soul Elders. It seemed like they were deliberately giving up on Team One.
Qin Ming, the original leader of Team One, had become Yu Xiaogang's assistant. It seemed there was an unspoken understanding—they had completely abandoned Team One.
Normally, such player transfers wouldn't be allowed. However, Team One and Team Two were both part of the same academy. Moreover, Ning Fengzhi and Dugu Bo were members of the judging committee, so even if Salas opposed it, it wouldn't make a difference.
After all, in the original storyline, God Wind Academy and Blazing Fire Academy had done even more outrageous things—they swapped players between two entirely different academies.
When the newly reorganized Tian Dou Imperial Academy Shrek Team made their debut, the entire audience erupted in astonishment. Especially Salas and Huyan Zhen on the guest seats—their faces turned pale. They certainly didn't want Tian Dou Imperial Academy to become too powerful.
After the two teams were reorganized, the initial lineup consisted of Yu Tianheng, Dai Mubai, Dugu Yan, Tang San, Yang Xiong, Shi Mo, and Shi Mo.
Their opponent was Zixing Academy, though unfortunately, their strongest member, Yang Wei, did not appear on the stage.
The Shrek Team had a total of five Soul Ancestors, with Yu Tianheng serving as captain and Tang San and Dai Mubai as vice-captains.
Even the God Wind Academy and Sky Water Academy teams were unusually serious. This team's strength was even more formidable than they had imagined, especially in terms of attack power. With two control-type soul masters on the field, they had complete dominance over the battlefield.
Feng Xiaotian and Huo Wushuang, along with Shui Bing'er, immediately noticed the problem.
Feng Xiaotian spoke up: "Something's off. Though this team looks strong, they lack an agility-type soul master, which will severely reduce their flexibility on the stage. Surely they must have considered this issue."
Huo Wushuang also nodded: "I think Tian Dou Imperial Academy isn't that simple. They might have other contingency plans."
While agility-type soul masters couldn't break through enemy formations as forcefully as powerhouse attackers or serve as the brain of the team like control-type soul masters, they were still extremely important.
Agility-type soul masters needed to find weak points in the enemy's defense and strike decisively, often rescuing and assisting teammates. The overall flexibility of the formation largely depended on them.
The Shrek Team adopted a 2-2-1-2 formation. At the back were the two control-type soul masters, Tang San and Dugu Yan, followed by the Shi brothers as defensive soul masters. Yang Xiong took on the role of agility-type soul master, while Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng led the charge as powerhouse attackers.
Sure enough, as the match began, Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng charged directly toward Zixing Academy's formation. Their White Tiger and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial souls were top-tier and overwhelmingly powerful, quickly disrupting the opponent's formation.
Meanwhile, Tang San and Dugu Yan controlled the battlefield. Countless strands of Blue Silver Grass erupted across the stage, quickly entangling all of Zixing Academy's members, while Dugu Yan's Azure Scaled Snake emitted various toxins, instantly enveloping the entire arena.
Though the Shi brothers were defensive soul masters, they possessed immense strength. Unfortunately, their speed was slow, so they lagged behind the main group as they advanced.
On the other hand, Yang Xiong was quickly overtaken by the Shi brothers. Before the opponents realized it, Yang Xiong flashed to the rear of Zixing Academy's formation, directly attacking their control-type soul master.
Yang Xiong's speed was extraordinary, and with his teleportation ability, his fingers transformed into silver dragon claws, grabbing the control-type soul master mercilessly.
Within just a few exchanges, Zixing Academy's formation was thrown into chaos. Their auxiliary and control-type soul masters had already been knocked off the stage by Yang Xiong, and their formation was shattered by the combined assault of the four attackers. In less than two minutes, all of Zixing Academy's members were defeated, and the newly reorganized Tian Dou Imperial Academy Shrek Team secured their first victory.
Watching the stage, Feng Xiaotian and the others grew even more serious. Huo Wu was puzzled: "Isn't Yang Xiong a defensive soul master? Why is he now an agility-type soul master?"
Feng Xiaotian shook his head: "It's not that simple. This guy isn't just a defensive soul master—he can also function as a powerhouse attacker or agility-type soul master. His strength, speed, and defense are all exceptional. Even I might not be able to easily defeat him."
Huo Wu grumbled: "Tian Dou Imperial Academy is being too reckless. Changing players at this stage is utterly shameless."
Beside her, Huo Wushuang commented: "They're all students of Tian Dou Imperial Academy, and they have a direct slot for the finals. Swapping players is perfectly reasonable."
By comparison, Huyan Zhen was even angrier. The Elephant Armor Academy had always performed averagely, consistently ranking at the bottom among the Five Elements Academies. They had hoped to compete with the Shrek Team for the final qualifying spot, but now, with this situation, they stood no chance. For the first time in many years, the Elephant Armor Academy might miss the promotion rounds entirely.
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