Sun Buyu, however, looked somewhat concerned.
"This kind of fast assault strategy is easy to execute, but it's also easy for the opponent to counter."
"The Elephant Armored Team used this exact strategy against Shrek. If they hadn't suddenly adapted during the match, they would have fallen into a disadvantage afterward."
More importantly, this tactic was usually reserved for strong teams facing weaker ones.
After all, if everyone charged straight at the enemy without a clear advantage in individual strength, it would be no different from throwing their lives away.
Wu Qi asked in return, "Do you think the Shrek Team considers itself a weak team?"
Since the tournament began, Shrek had maintained a perfect winning record. Calling them weak was obviously unrealistic.
Wu Qi continued, "Since they don't see themselves as the weaker side, and they've already experienced how to counter this tactic, they won't expect us to use it against them."
Sun Buyu muttered, "You're right. They'd never see it coming."
Everyone agreed with Wu Qi's reasoning.
But Shrek's fastest victory record stood at fifty seconds. If they wanted to break that record, how much faster would they have to be?
After all, forty-nine seconds and thirty seconds were worlds apart.
In thirty seconds, Shrek might not even have time to finish setting up their formation.
"When the match begins, we'll first pretend to take up our normal formation so they think we're preparing for a standard team battle. The moment the referee announces the start, everyone will release your Spirit Rings at full speed and charge straight into their formation with me."
The following day's matches were exceptionally fierce. Several teams with longstanding grudges were paired against one another, causing every battle to drag on.
Since the preliminaries followed a one-round-per-day format, even matches scheduled late in the day would still be completed that night instead of being postponed.
It wasn't until near the end of the Hour of Hai, close to midnight, that the Seven Treasures Team and the Shrek Team were finally called to the stage.
Despite the late hour, plenty of spectators remained to witness the clash between the tournament's two undefeated teams.
One noteworthy change was that Tang San did not field Tai Long this time.
Strictly speaking, the Seven Treasures Team only had two front-line fighters, Changkong and Huo Wushuang. If Tai Long played, Shrek would end up with three front-line fighters.
Since both Wu Qi and Feng Xiaotian specialized in agility, Ma Hongjun's role in this match was far more valuable than Tai Long's.
Having learned from his previous mistake, Ma Hongjun deliberately skipped dinner before the match and stayed hungry.
Since the Shrek Team also hadn't eaten much at noon, by this hour they were all starving.
The Seven Treasures Team, on the other hand, had delayed lunch by two hours and eaten extra, so they were still holding up well.
After the announcer introduced both teams, they stepped onto the arena together.
When Tang San saw that Wu Qi had taken the field instead of Feng Xiaotian, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Off the stage, Yu Xiaogang also quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
He had genuinely feared that Tang San would stubbornly insist on challenging a Seven Treasures Team led by Feng Xiaotian head-on.
Since it was Wu Qi, that fool, leading them instead, he felt much more at ease.
Before the match began, Dai Mubai was the first to throw out a challenge.
"Seven Treasures Team, today you'll finally taste defeat."
Unexpectedly, Wu Qi seemed to be in an unusually good mood.
Faced with the provocation, he merely nodded slightly without saying a single word.
That reaction left even Dai Mubai uncertain.
Was the Seven Treasures Team simply that confident in their strength?
Or did they already know they couldn't win and had simply given up?
He glanced at Tang San.
Tang San gestured for him to calm down and whispered, "Mubai, stop talking. None of us have eaten. Save your energy for the match."
He seemed to realize that Wu Qi's silence was deliberate.
By refusing to argue or respond, he was making them waste their own energy for nothing.
"As everyone knows," the announcer declared, "both the Seven Treasures Team and the Shrek Team have remained undefeated since the start of the tournament."
"So today, will the Seven Treasures Team continue their winning streak, or will the Shrek Team rise to the occasion? Let's find out together."
As the announcer finished speaking, the referee immediately announced.
"Both teams, prepare yourselves. The match will begin in one minute."
Following Wu Qi's instructions, the Seven Treasures Team calmly took up their formation, making it appear as though they intended to fight a conventional team battle.
Seeing this, Tang San quietly let out a sigh of relief.
He had been worried that the Seven Treasure Team would once again turn a team battle into a series of one-on-one fights.
After all, when it came to individual strength, Shrek was still at a disadvantage.
On the VIP platform, Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly.
"A standard offensive and defensive formation. It seems Little Wu intends to rely on teamwork this time."
Gu Rong snorted.
"That brat is far too cunning. In nearly every previous match, they relied purely on overwhelming individual strength. There was barely anything worth watching. I hope this battle is more interesting."
Despite his complaints, he understood one simple truth: true masters rarely need spectacular victories.
With such an overwhelming advantage in strength, there was no need for the Seven Treasure Team to reveal their tactics against ordinary opponents.
As the final seconds of the one-minute preparation period ticked away, Wu Qi closed his eyes and calmly sensed the movement of the surrounding air.
Just before blowing the whistle, the referee instinctively took a deep breath, creating a subtle disturbance in the airflow.
Wu Qi caught that tiny change instantly.
The moment the whistle sounded, he activated his martial spirit at almost the exact same instant.
The other members of the Seven Treasure Team had been watching him the entire time. The instant he moved, they all released their martial spirits as well.
"Did they jump the whistle?"
Some spectators couldn't help but wonder.
Unfortunately, there were no cameras or replay technology in this world to determine the exact timing.
For the referee, it was one of those situations that could go either way. Rather than create unnecessary controversy, he chose not to intervene.
The Seven Treasure Team's lightning-fast reaction only proved how sharp their reflexes were.
In a normal team battle, both sides would activate their martial spirits before cautiously probing each other's formations, searching for weaknesses.
Because of that, only Yu Tianheng and Dai Mubai activated their martial spirits immediately on Shrek's side. Everyone else was still observing the battlefield, conserving Spirit Power whenever possible.
By the time they realized what was happening, Wu Qi had already charged straight into their formation.
"Fourth Spirit Skill: Wind Spiral Dragon Body." [Increase all Attributes by 100%]
As the Spirit Skill activated, Wu Qi's speed reached an astonishing level. The shockwave trailing behind him caught Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng completely off guard, knocking both of them to the ground.
Tang San's expression changed drastically.
"This is bad! They're trying to end the battle as quickly as possible!"
Reacting immediately, he launched Blue Silver Grass from an incredibly tricky angle, hoping to slow Wu Qi's advance.
Standing behind him, Zhou Yun was inwardly startled.
"The captain was right. Tang San's control techniques really are exceptionally precise."
But, whoever seized the initiative always held the advantage.
Zhou Yun's Thorn Devil Vine erupted from the ground, tangling with the Blue Silver Grass before twisting both vines into a massive knot.
With the Blue Silver Grass restrained, nothing could stop Wu Qi any longer.
The moment he activated his Third Spirit Skill, five Spirit Rings, yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, rose beneath his feet.
"Third Spirit Skill: Raging Storm!"
His wings beat powerfully, unleashing a violent gale.
Caught completely off guard, every member of the Shrek Team was swept into the raging storm.
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