# Chapter 36: Royal Team
That night, Chen Sheng sat cross-legged in his room, focusing his consciousness on the accumulated treasure chests.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: Rusty Iron Key (ordinary item, no special use)]
Chen Sheng shrugged and stored it away without much thought. Not every reward could be amazing.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: Wind Element (Primal Element)]
Excellent! The Wind Element immediately recognized his Twenty-Winged Archangel martial soul and began fusing automatically. His Archangel now possessed six elements: Light/Holy Fire, Darkness/Ice, Life, Death, Earth, and Wind!
Chen Sheng smiled with satisfaction.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: Decorative Tea Set (mortal item)]
Another mundane item. Chen Sheng stored it away.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: Goro Goro no Mi - Thunder Fruit (Logia-type Devil Fruit)]
Chen Sheng's eyes widened in shock. A golden-white fruit with distinctive swirl patterns materialized before him, crackling with visible electricity.
The Thunder Fruit! One of the most powerful Logia-type Devil Fruits from One Piece!
This Devil Fruit would grant him complete control over lightning and electricity, allow him to transform into lightning itself, move at lightning speed, and become nearly invulnerable to physical attacks!
Without hesitation, Chen Sheng grabbed the fruit and bit into it. The taste was absolutely horrible—worse than anything he'd ever eaten—but he forced himself to swallow it completely.
Immediately, his body began to change. Lightning crackled across his skin, and he could feel electrical energy flowing through every cell. The power was intoxicating.
[Thunder Fruit successfully integrated! Host can now control, generate, and transform into lightning. Physical body gains lightning immunity and extremely high resistance to energy attacks.]
Chen Sheng tested his new ability briefly, his hand transforming into crackling lightning. This combined with my other abilities... my combat power just increased tremendously.
[Opening Treasure Chest...]
[Congratulations to Host! Obtained: Time Travel Belt (Divine Grade - Three uses remaining)]
Chen Sheng nearly dropped the glowing belt that appeared before him. His hands trembled as he read the item description.
"Allows the user to travel back in time up to 50 years. Three uses available. Upon activation, user can change past events, then return to present timeline. Changes made in past will affect current reality accordingly."
This was... this was possibly the most dangerous and powerful item he'd ever received!
Chen Sheng's mind raced with possibilities. I could go back and change so many things... prevent tragedies, save lives, alter the entire course of events...
But then caution took over. No. This is too dangerous to use carelessly.
Time manipulation could have unforeseen consequences. I need to plan extremely carefully before using even one charge. One wrong move could destroy everything or create new timeline.
[SYSTEM Note: Don't worry Host! System will prevent creation of new timeline due to your time travel.]
Chen Sheng was relieved but still carefully stored the Time Travel Belt in his jade pendant's most secure section. I'll keep this for later use. When the time is right, I'll know how to use it properly.
[Opening remaining Treasure Chests...]
The rest of the treasure chests yielded mostly ordinary items: a leather-bound journal, some elegant fountain pens, a music box, decorative vases, high-quality cooking ingredients, and various mundane objects. Chen Sheng stored them all without much consideration.
By the time he finished, it was nearly midnight.
My strength has grown again, he thought with satisfaction.
---
Heaven Dou Imperial Palace
In the Crown Prince's elegant study, Qian Renxue—disguised as the gentle prince Xue Qinghe—was reviewing official documents when she suddenly spoke to the seemingly empty air.
"Uncle Snake Lance, has anything special happened in Heaven Dou City recently?"
Two figures immediately materialized from the shadows behind her: Snake Lance Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo, both loyal protectors sent by Spirit Hall.
"Reporting to Young Master," Snake Lance said respectfully, "nothing major has occurred in the city recently, except that a few days ago, Sword Douluo Chen Xin of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect suddenly received a letter and left the Sect urgently. Not long after, Ning Fengzhi also departed. I don't know what called them away, but they have both returned now."
"Oh, right, Young Master," Porcupinefish added, "there's one more interesting development. A team from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy led by Yu Tianheng was taken away from Heaven Dou City by a teacher named Qin Ming. It seems a team called the Shrek Team appeared in the Great Spirit Arena of Soto City in the Balak Kingdom, and its captain is a young Spirit Ancestor who possesses a White Tiger martial soul!"
"Soto City has sent an application to Heaven Dou City's headquarters, requesting to dispatch a strong team with all members' strength close to Spirit Ancestor level to come and compete with them."
"Oh? A young Spirit Ancestor?" Qian Renxue's elegant eyebrows raised slightly with interest. "How old exactly is this person? Also, why did Teacher Qin Ming have to travel so far to Soto City? Even if the Shrek Team is strong, as a Royal Fighting Team, is it really necessary to go all the way to such a remote location?"
Her hands never stopped moving as she continued signing documents with practiced efficiency.
"Heh heh, Young Master, I also investigated what you mentioned, and it's very interesting indeed," Snake Lance replied with a slight smirk. "I found out that Teacher Qin Ming's former academy was actually Shrek Academy near Soto City, and its founder is Flender, the Flying Corner of the famous Golden Triangle. The members of this Shrek Team are also very interesting!"
He continued, "Because they used codenames when registering for arena battles, I don't know their specific real names yet, but I discovered something very intriguing: one of the Spirit Masters in the Shrek Team possesses the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Spirit! And it's rumored that some time ago, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Rongrong, was suspected to be absent from the Sect for an extended period..."
"Oh, also, there are two other Spirit Masters in the team worth noting: they possess the Evil Eyes White Tiger and Hell Civet Spirits respectively! And the captain of this team, White Tiger God, is even more amazing—a genius that appears unmatched in both his rank and age..."
At this revelation, the pen in Qian Renxue's hand stopped completely. A slight, interested smile appeared on her beautiful face as she murmured in a low voice, "That is truly interesting indeed. The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and the inherited Spirits of the Star Luo Empire Royal Family and the Zhu family have all appeared in such an unknown, remote academy."
"And Sword Douluo also left the Sect alone not long ago and had someone urgently bring back some kind of news."
Her golden eyes gleamed with calculation. "Also, aren't the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Star Luo Empire traditionally at odds politically? In that case, Uncle Snake Lance, please thoroughly investigate the background of this Shrek Academy and all its members. I want detailed reports."
"Yes, Young Master!" After receiving the clear order, Snake Lance flashed and disappeared into the shadows.
Qian Renxue's mind filled with strategic thoughts as she returned to her documents.
That young Spirit Ancestor does catch my attention somewhat. Since he's in an academy setting, it means he should only be in his teens. A teenage Spirit Ancestor with such remarkable abilities... indeed a promising talent worth watching.
I should keep an eye on this development. Talented individuals can either become powerful allies or dangerous enemies. Better to know which category this "White Tiger God" falls into.
---
Great Spirit Arena of Soto City - Rest Room
"Grandmaster, these are your opponents for tonight's team battle—the Royal Fight Team I mentioned to you before."
Supervisor Ao handed a detailed dossier containing the personal data of the Royal Fight Team members to Yu Xiaogang.
Yu Xiaogang opened the first page, and five striking characters were immediately visible at the top:
Captain: Yu Tianheng!
His expression changed subtly as he recognized the name. After carefully reviewing all the data, Yu Xiaogang looked at everyone present and asked, "What are your thoughts on this upcoming team battle? We have eight people total, and Chen Sheng will definitely be playing in this match. So who will serve as the substitute?"
The team members exchanged uncertain glances.
Supervisor Ao interjected professionally, "This afternoon, you have a special team battle scheduled. The battle location will be in the main Soul Fighting Arena—our largest venue, which means this match is expected to draw significant attention."
"Here is the detailed information on your opponent, the Imperial Fighting Team. Take a look carefully."
Everyone quickly stopped their casual conversations and grabbed the information packets Grandmaster distributed, reading intently.
The information was comprehensive and detailed. Unlike teams like the Raging Bull Team which had long histories in the arena, there was relatively limited information on the Imperial Fighting Team since they'd only recently arrived. However, what was available was quite telling.
Imperial Fighting Team Roster:
Captain: Yu Tianheng
- Martial Soul: Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon
- Level: 39 Attack System Battle Soul Elder
- Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple
Vice Captain: Dugu Yan
- Martial Soul: Jade Phosphor Serpent
- Level: 38 Control System Battle Soul Elder
- Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple
Team Member: Shi Mo (Elder Brother)
- Martial Soul: Black Tortoise
- Level: 38 Defense System Battle Soul Elder
- Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple
Team Member: Shi Mo (Younger Brother)
- Martial Soul: Black Tortoise
- Level: 37 Defense System Battle Soul Elder
- Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple
Team Member: Yu Feng
- Martial Soul: Wind Chime Bird
- Level: 37 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Elder
- Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple
Team Member: Ao Siluo
- Martial Soul: Ghost Leopard
- Level: 37 Agility Attack System Battle Soul Elder
- Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple
Team Member: Ye Lingling
- Martial Soul: Nine Heart Begonia
- Level: 36 Support System Tool Soul Master
- Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple
All members possessed Silver Soul Fighting Badges, indicating significant battle experience and skill.
Tang San analyzed in a deep voice, "Such high soul power levels, and they all have optimal soul ring combinations. Their overall strength is much stronger than that Raging Bull Team we faced! We definitely need to plan our strategy carefully."
Upon hearing this assessment, everyone nodded seriously. The difference was obvious—this team was on another level entirely.
In everyone's hearts, although they recognized the Royal Team was formidable, deep down they still believed the Shrek Seven Devils could compete with them, especially with Chen Sheng on their side.
Grandmaster coughed to get their attention. "The Imperial Fighting Team's composition is very reasonable and well-balanced. The captain and vice-captain are the ones you need to pay special attention to! As long as you can effectively hold them back or neutralize their advantages, your chances of winning this soul fight are over seventy percent!"
He pointed to Yu Tianheng's profile. "That captain possesses the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul, which is one of the top-tier beast martial souls on the entire continent. Its attack power and lightning attributes are extremely formidable. Its status among beast martial souls is equivalent to that of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda among support-type martial souls—absolutely elite."
His finger moved to the next profile. "As for the vice-captain, Dugu Yan, she's a control-type soul master with the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul. This particular martial soul reminds me of someone very dangerous..."
At this point, Grandmaster paused strategically, keeping everyone in suspense and ensuring he had their complete attention.
Under normal circumstances, either Ma Hongjun or Zhu Zhuqing, who had the relatively lower spirit power levels, would serve as substitutes. However, the Royal Fight Team's situation was somewhat different and more complex.
The opponents had flying Spirit Masters, multiple agile attack Spirit Masters, defensive specialists, and so on—making it a perfectly balanced and versatile lineup that could adapt to various strategies.
According to his analytical thoughts, having Oscar as a substitute might actually be the best tactical choice. Oscar's auxiliary effects, while useful, were not as universally powerful as Ning Rongrong's legendary support abilities. Additionally, his Small Detoxifying Sausage would likely be basically useless against Dugu Yan's potent Jade Phosphor Snake Poison, which was known to be extremely difficult to counter.
"Let's not decide who will be the substitute just yet," Yu Xiaogang said thoughtfully. "First, let's analyze their characteristics thoroughly and discuss how to deal with each threat. For example, how will you resolve the critical problem of Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Snake Poison? This vice-captain's poison abilities could potentially incapacitate our entire team if not properly countered."
Flender, who had been listening quietly, pointed to Dugu Yan's detailed data and said in a grave voice, "This Spirit, this surname... it reminds me of someone very dangerous indeed."
However, Tang San spoke up confidently, "Dean, Grandmaster, I have a solution for the poison problem. Ma Hongjun must be on the field for this match. No matter what kind of snake venom it is, snakes universally fear realgar. Fatty's Phoenix Fire combined with the purifying power of realgar wine should be enough to neutralize the opponent's Jade Phosphor Snake Poison effectively!"
Tang San said this with complete confidence, even glancing at Xiao Wu as if seeking her approval. This was knowledge he had learned and trusted from his previous life in the Tang Sect!
Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly, his expression uncertain. "Little San, are you absolutely sure your method is feasible? I've never heard of realgar being able to neutralize millennium-level snake venom, especially not venom from such a rare and powerful martial soul. This seems questionable."
This was clearly a blind spot in his extensive theoretical knowledge.
Tang San insisted, "Teacher, please trust me on this. You know I have considerable research and practical experience with poisons from my... previous studies."
Chen Sheng, who had been listening quietly, looked at Tang San with a speechless expression. He really couldn't bear it any longer and wanted to correct this dangerous misconception.
"Tang San," Chen Sheng said calmly but firmly, "is it possible that you're mistaken about realgar? Realgar is not actually a snake's true bane or weakness. Snakes simply dislike the strong smell emitted by realgar—it's an irritant, not a poison neutralizer. Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix Spirit is a genuine bane to snakes due to its innate Yang attribute, and its Phoenix Fire is an ultimate Yang element that can inherently counteract Yin-based snake venoms. You don't actually need your so-called realgar wine at all. The Phoenix Fire alone should be sufficient."
Tang San's expression darkened, and he frowned with obvious irritation. "Chen Sheng, I already clearly explained that igniting realgar wine with Phoenix Fire can effectively neutralize snake venom. Why are you deliberately refuting me in front of everyone?"
Chen Sheng sighed internally. Tang San was completely misinterpreting what he was trying to explain.
Ning Rongrong, who had been listening carefully, said calmly and logically, "Tang San, I think Chen Sheng's point is that Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire alone is already sufficient to neutralize the snake venom due to its Yang nature. Your realgar wine is completely unnecessary and adds no real benefit! Don't you understand the distinction? Besides, if realgar wine is really as universally powerful against snake venom as you claim, why does it specifically have to be ignited by Ma Hongjun's flame? Couldn't Dai Mubai's White Tiger Light Wave, which also has Yang properties, ignite it just as effectively?"
[Detected! Tang San's frustration and wounded pride. Congratulations to Host, Treasure Chest acquired!]
Tang San's face darkened noticeably as he looked at Ning Rongrong defending Chen Sheng's position. He took a deep, controlled breath and said stubbornly, "Igniting it specifically with Phoenix Fire can significantly increase its effective range and properly activate the medicinal properties of the realgar wine! That's why it must be Phoenix Fire specifically!"
Chen Sheng internally sighed. Still stubbornly refusing to admit he might be wrong, huh?
If realgar could truly neutralize all snake venoms as effectively as Tang San claims, then countless people in my previous world wouldn't have died from snake bites despite realgar being widely available. If realgar was such a universal antidote, why would medical researchers bother developing and producing hundreds of different specific snake venom antidotes?
His Tang Sect knowledge clearly has limitations and cultural misconceptions mixed in.
Grandmaster, sensing the rising tension, quickly continued his briefing with satisfaction at the strategic discussion. "The Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul is an extremely rare martial soul on the continent. There aren't many soul masters who possess this particular martial soul, and among those few, the most powerful and notorious soul master is a very special control-type battle soul master—the Jade Phosphor Douluo, Dugu Bo! At the same time, he is also widely known as the Poison Douluo, because his mastery of poison can be said to be the absolute strongest in the known world!"
Upon hearing the mention of a Titled Douluo level poison expert, everyone gasped with concern.
Grandmaster smiled slightly, pleased with their reaction. "This Jade Phosphor Douluo's full name might not be known to younger soul masters, but I know clearly from my research that his surname is Dugu! And this vice-captain is called Dugu Yan, her martial soul is the same Jade Phosphor Serpent, and she is also a rare control-type soul master specializing in poison. So there must be some direct blood connection between the two—most likely she's his granddaughter!"
The implications hung heavy in the air. If Dugu Yan had personal connections to a Titled Douluo...
Dai Mubai then interjected with his own knowledge, "That captain should definitely be from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan—one of the Upper Three Sects. I haven't heard of anyone else possessing the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul anywhere else on the continent. It's an exclusive inherited martial soul."
Tang San added his analysis, "The Black Tortoise is a martial soul as famous and prestigious as the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, known throughout the continent. Its defensive capabilities are extremely strong, and it is also considered a top-tier existence among all defense-type martial souls. Furthermore, those two Shi brothers are twins, and their martial souls are identical. This is very similar to the Thunder Alligator brothers we encountered in our early matches. It's highly possible they also possess a martial soul fusion skill, which would make their combined defense nearly impenetrable!"
Everyone fell into deep, concerned thought, mentally noting down each point of concern and thinking seriously about how to break through such a well-rounded team.
Although for now there were still many tactical details they hadn't fully analyzed, developing this habit of thorough pre-battle analysis was already showing good results in their teamwork.
At this moment, Ning Rongrong suddenly spoke up with an important observation, "Besides the captain and vice-captain, you should all pay very special attention to their support-type soul master, because her martial soul is the Nine Heart Begonia!"
Everyone's expressions changed dramatically at this revelation. The Nine Heart Begonia was legendary—one of the rarest and most powerful healing martial souls in existence!
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