Shrek Academy's opponent in the quarterfinals was Righteous Heaven Academy, a team from the same group during the second phase. The match went smoothly, and Shrek easily advanced to the top four.
The final four teams of this year's Soul Master Tournament had emerged: Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Academy, Star Luo Academy, and Dio Academy. Besides Shrek, the other three teams were the top academies of their respective nations and were also known as the Royal Academies.
Judging by their performance in the earlier rounds, these three teams were stronger than those of past tournaments. However, when compared to Shrek Academy, their chances of winning were still quite slim. Shrek's dominance remained unshaken.
Nevertheless, even though none of the three teams posed much of a threat, Wang Yan still called for a pre-match strategy meeting with the team.
The night before the semifinals, inside the meeting room of the Star Emperor Hotel.
Wang Yan wore a gentle smile and said, "The top four teams have all been decided. Starting tomorrow, the semifinals will begin and last for two days. Four teams will battle for the two final spots. Naturally, we'll be in the first match tomorrow. The team battle will be held in the morning, and the individual matches will take place in the afternoon. After the semifinals, there will be a three-day break, followed by the finals."
"Teacher Wang, who are we going up against in the semifinals?" Xiao Xiao raised her hand and asked curiously.
Wang Yan shook his head and replied, "That hasn't been decided yet.
For fairness, the matchups for the semifinals will be determined by a draw among the four teams before the matches begin. So, we'll draw our opponent ourselves tomorrow.
Although we can't prepare in advance for a specific team, honestly, all three teams are on the same level when it comes to us. Of course, we should be especially cautious of the Sun Moon team. The other two, Dio Academy and Star Luo Academy, don't require much attention."
"Teacher Wang, what's the detailed strength of these three teams?" Beibei asked.
"Among the three, Sun Moon Academy is undoubtedly the strongest. Based on previous match data, out of their fourteen members, only the captain Ma Rulong, the reserve team leader Xiao Hongchen, and another reserve member Meng Hongchen haven't appeared. The remaining eleven have all fought, and six of their core team members are Soul Kings," Wang Yan analyzed thoughtfully. "Although Ma Rulong hasn't fought, he was the reserve team leader last time, and his strength should be at the Soul Emperor level. One Soul Emperor, six Soul Kings, all of whom are at least Level 5 Soul Engineers — that makes them the strongest team in this tournament aside from us."
"As for Dio Academy and Star Luo Academy… Dio also has one Soul Emperor and six Soul Kings and a few Soul Engineers, but only two are Level 4. They pose very little threat to us. Star Luo is the weakest of the four. Their main lineup includes six Soul Kings. I estimate they might be hiding another one, so seven Soul Kings total — still less of a threat than Dio."
Wang Yan's analysis flatly dismissed the other three teams as insignificant. His confidence now stood in stark contrast to the cautious tone he'd had earlier in the tournament.
"Why did Teacher Wang suddenly get so cocky?" Wang Dong leaned over to whisper in Huo Yuhao's ear.
"Probably because of Brother Ziyang," Huo Yuhao replied, his gaze falling on Zhu Ziyang sitting across the room with his usual composed expression. There was admiration in his eyes.
"True," Wang Dong nodded thoughtfully. "With Senior Ziyang, Senior Xiaotao, and oh right, Senior Gongyang — we've got three Soul Emperors. I can't imagine any other team beating us."
"Exactly!" Huo Yuhao completely agreed.
"Alright, strategy meeting's over. Everyone head back and rest," Wang Yan announced.
As everyone filed out of the meeting room, Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and Ma Xiaotao walked at the rear.
Once they exited into the corridor, the members of the reserve team were nowhere in sight. The three walked side by side, only to suddenly encounter a young man and young woman. Well, it wasn't exactly a coincidence — the two had clearly been waiting for Shrek Academy, or more precisely, for Zhu Ziyang.
The moment Xiao Hongchen saw Zhu Ziyang, he strode forward. His younger sister, Meng Hongchen, followed closely behind.
"Zhu Ziyang, remember my name — I'm Xiao Hongchen! I will defeat you!" Xiao Hongchen declared with pride and confidence.
"Your name's Xiao Hongchen?" Zhu Ziyang didn't take the challenge to heart. Instead, he chuckled, intrigued by the name. "Are you related to Jing Hongchen?"
Jing Hongchen — Dean of Mingde Hall in the Sun Moon Empire, a top-tier Rank 9 Soul Engineer, the leader of the Sun Moon's Soul Engineer world, and someone Mu En often warned about. According to Mu En, this man was one of the greatest threats to Shrek Academy.
"You..." Xiao Hongchen was furious. Zhu Ziyang hadn't even acknowledged his challenge and instead mockingly asked if he relied on his grandfather. Did Zhu Ziyang think he was just some spoiled brat riding on family prestige? His face darkened in rage.
"Hmph! I won't forget this humiliation!"
With that, Xiao Hongchen turned to leave, attempting to drag his sister with him.
But his hand missed.
He looked back, stunned to find his starry-eyed, lovestruck sister standing right in front of Zhu Ziyang, gushing.
"Big brother, you're so handsome!" Meng Hongchen stared at him dreamily. "I'm Meng Hongchen, Xiao Hongchen's sister. Why are you so good-looking? You're way more handsome than my brother!"
Her words didn't just make Xiao Hongchen's face twitch — they also made Jiang Nannan and Ma Xiaotao bristle like startled cats. The two girls immediately squeezed between Zhu Ziyang and Meng Hongchen, their bodies shielding him while they glared warily at the newcomer.
"To think a girl from the Sun Moon Empire would be so shameless, flirting in broad daylight," Ma Xiaotao sneered, aiming her sarcasm not just at Meng Hongchen but at the entire Sun Moon Empire.
"Hmph! Auntie, mind your own business! We girls of the Sun Moon Empire love boldly and hate openly, unlike you people from the Douluo Continent who act one way in public and another in private!" Meng Hongchen wasn't one to back down.
"Auntie?!" Ma Xiaotao exploded. She was only nineteen and already being called 'auntie'? Her temper flared instantly, and her Soul Emperor aura burst forth, sending Meng Hongchen staggering back several meters.
"Ha! The old hag's angry!" Though flustered, Meng Hongchen kept up her verbal assault. "Seeing a youthful, gorgeous girl like me must've triggered your insecurities about aging!"
"You two really are siblings — equally narcissistic and clueless," Jiang Nannan said at last, covering her mouth as she laughed softly. Her enchanting elegance left even Meng Hongchen momentarily stunned.
Facing Jiang Nannan, Meng Hongchen's bravado faded. While her looks matched Ma Xiaotao's, they still fell short compared to Jiang Nannan's. She pouted and muttered, "What's the big deal? Just give me a few more years. I'll be even prettier than you!"
Saying that, she straightened her modest chest proudly.
Ma Xiaotao's anger vanished in an instant. A smug look crossed her face as she gave a seductive smile.
"Oh? Really? You think so?"
She mimicked Meng Hongchen's motion, pushing her chest forward slightly — and the resulting bounce instantly crushed Meng Hongchen's smug expression. Defeated, the little girl quickly turned around, grabbed her brother, and made a hasty retreat.
Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but laugh at the scene. He could already imagine how deeply today's events would scar Meng Hongchen. After all, Ma Xiaotao was a world-class beauty. A regular girl like Meng Hongchen had no chance unless she turned to science and surgery.
"Truly a pair of clowns," Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "Are all the people from the Hongchen family this hilariously blunt?"
"Maybe," Ma Xiaotao said with a triumphant grin. "I'm in such a good mood now, I'm going to get a nice beauty sleep. Hahaha!"
With that, she walked off, leaving behind a smiling Zhu Ziyang and a visibly affected Jiang Nannan.
Jiang Nannan lowered her gaze to her own figure, then looked up at Zhu Ziyang, her face tinged with worry.
"Brother... do you think I can surpass Sister Xiaotao one day?"
"Ah!" Zhu Ziyang choked a bit, then quickly reassured her, "Well, being too big isn't necessarily a good thing. As long as everything is in proportion, that's what really matters!"
Jiang Nannan understood what he meant but still couldn't help feeling a little down.
Seeing her like that, Zhu Ziyang could only sigh inwardly.
(End of Chapter)
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