The very thought of the Soto Great Spirit Arena gave Tang San a headache. His Blue Silver Grass spirit was at a significant disadvantage in one-on-one battles. Any decent beast spirit or an offensive tool spirit could easily overwhelm him. He couldn't just refuse to participate in solo fights like Oscar and Ning Rongrong, who were auxiliary spirit masters. The goal was to get a Silver Fighting Spirit Badge, and if his battle record was terrible, he'd never be able to upgrade his badge. The embarrassment would reflect not only on him but on his teacher as well.
But this was the training assignment from Dean Flender. Now that he was a student at Shrek Academy, he had to follow the rules.
It seems I'll have to earn my points through two-on-two and team battles, Tang San thought, already trying to come up with a solution. He knew the arena's rules. Besides solo matches, there were also duo and team competitions. Auxiliary spirit masters like Oscar and Ning Rongrong relied exclusively on those formats to earn points.
Just then, Flender, after a moment of thought, spoke again. "However, the goal isn't just to get a Silver Fighting Spirit Badge in solo fights. You also need to earn one in team battles. You will all compete under the name of the Shrek team. Team battles will earn points for each of you individually, as well as for the team as a whole."
He continued, "To speed up the process of earning your silver badges, you'll also be required to form pairs and participate in the two-on-two competitions. There are eight students in the academy, which is perfect. Start discussing your pairings now. I'll give you five minutes to decide, and then I'll register your teams at the Great Spirit Arena."
As soon as Flender finished speaking, a murmur went through the students. One-on-one, two-on-two, and team battles—it meant that everyone, except for Oscar and Ning Rongrong, would have to participate in at least three different types of fights every night. Since the arena was only open in the evenings, their nights were about to get extremely busy.
When Tang San heard they had to form their own pairs, his heart sank. While it was true that eight students could form four perfect teams, the current situation made it seem impossible for him. The eight of them were clearly divided into two groups: the original seven Shrek students on one side, and him, all alone, on the other. Who would possibly be willing to team up with him?
Tang San hesitantly turned his gaze toward the seven students beside him, his eyes landing on the three girls gathered around Huo Feng. In a duo combination, Huo Feng could only choose one of them. Maybe, he thought with a sliver of hope, one of them would be left for me?
As if sensing his gaze, the three girls felt a sudden chill. They immediately turned their attention to Huo Feng, each hoping to be his partner. After all, with his strength, losing was almost impossible. He was the undisputed leader of their group. But it wasn't just his strength they valued; it was also his handsome looks. Why would they choose anyone else? Ma Hongjun was creepy, Oscar had that ridiculous beard, and while Dai Mubai was good-looking, his recent behavior had thoroughly disgusted them.
At the critical moment, Xiao Wu spoke first. "I'm with Huo Feng!" Before the other two could react, she walked right up and linked her arm with his.
Huo Feng just shrugged helplessly at Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
Ning Rongrong sighed. "Can't we just form a team of four? That would be so much easier."
But with the first-come, first-served rule in effect, she and Zhu Zhuqing looked at each other and decided not to fight Xiao Wu for him. It wasn't worth damaging their friendship.
"How about we team up?" Zhu Zhuqing suggested to Ning Rongrong. "An agility attack spirit master paired with the continent's number one auxiliary spirit, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. We'd be incredibly strong."
"Okay, okay!" Ning Rongrong smiled and nodded in agreement. Besides Huo Feng, she had no desire to team up with any of the other "stinky men," especially not Tang San. She would rather die than be his partner.
Seeing the three girls form their teams so quickly and decisively, Tang San helplessly withdrew his gaze. He had clearly been overthinking things. Now, his only hope lay with the three remaining male students.
He immediately ruled out Dai Mubai. The tension between them was more than just dislike; it was a grudge. If they were on a team, Tang San feared they would end up fighting each other before the match even started.
That left Oscar and Ma Hongjun. Tang San didn't know them at all, but he put on a kind smile, preparing to approach them for a friendly discussion. He had no idea that all the Shrek students had already heard about the "dark history" of him and Yu Xiaogang. They wanted to run from him, not team up with him.
The three male students had briefly held out hope of teaming with one of the girls, but after seeing them all flock to Huo Feng, they gave up. It seemed they would have to sort it out amongst themselves. But with three of them, they could only form one team, leaving one person left over...
Just then, Ma Hongjun caught Tang San looking his way and was instantly alarmed. "Boss Dai, let's team up! You and me!" he blurted out.
"Fatty, are you crazy?" Oscar immediately retorted, seeing the plan. "You want to stick me, a support master, with him? We'd just be giving the other team free points! No way! Boss Dai, team up with me! My sausages will give you a huge power boost. We'll be invincible together!"
For a moment, Dai Mubai was caught in an awkward position. Both of them were his good brothers. No matter which one he chose, he would be pushing the other into a fire pit. Who in their right mind would team up with a loser like Tang San? It would be like fighting one against three.
He saw the three of them not only ignore him but actively shuffle away, increasing the distance between them. Tang San's face turned ugly. Damn it, he thought, humiliation and anger rising in his chest. They're all isolating me!
"Five minutes are up. Are the teams formed?" Flender's voice cut through the tension.
"We're all set, Dean!" Huo Feng and the girls stepped forward and separated into their two pairs: Huo Feng with Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong with Zhu Zhuqing.
Flender nodded, then glanced at the back row. He saw the conflicted expressions on Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, and then his eyes landed on the lonely Tang San standing by himself. His brow furrowed.
"What's the problem with you four?"
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