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"Can you tell me your name?" Xu Huang, bound and struggling, tried a few more times to break free, but realizing it was futile, she decided to try extracting information from the enemy.
"No," replied the leader of the Spirit Hall battle team, shaking his head. He lifted her chin with a playful tone. "Don't even think about trying to manipulate me. Bringing back a captive like you will surely guarantee us the victory."
*Victory?*
Xu Huang's heart sank as she realized that the Sun and Moon army might truly have been defeated by the natives of the Douluo Continent. The Sun and Moon Empire hadn't received any news, and for the natives of the Douluo Continent, it seemed like they had only noticed their ships arriving, so they came to gather intelligence, perhaps even treating this as some kind of competition… Could it be that her brother, the emperor, also...
No, this couldn't be possible. Her elder brother was far stronger than any soul master, an invincible force. How could he lose?
Regaining her composure, Xu Huang continued, "You're in a competition, aren't you? In that case, I must be important. After all, I'm the princess of the Sun and Moon Empire and know more about the empire's secrets. I'm information itself... The other four teams must be rivals to you, right? What if I demanded to be captured by them?"
The leader of the Spirit Hall battle team raised an eyebrow, surprised. He hadn't expected this princess to be so quick-witted, not at all like those foolish nobles of the empire. "That's the competition issue between us. It doesn't have anything to do with what you want."
Xu Huang's breath hitched. She realized that the enemy was impervious to both soft and hard approaches. How could she, a princess of the empire, be treated like this? Truly, these were barbaric natives of Douluo.
"Also," the leader continued, "We have seven teams in total. Two of them didn't dare set sail and stayed on the shore."
Xu Huang was confused. "Why are you telling me this?"
The leader of the Spirit Hall battle team gave her a mysterious smile. "I just hope that if those two teams manage to capture you, you'll find a way to escape. One of them only knows how to swing a big hammer, while the other has a style like that of street thugs. If you don't escape, well, you'll be on your own. By the way, a word of caution—one of them has a spirit soul that's a sausage, and his spirit abilities are rather... disgusting."
Xu Huang's face immediately changed. In the Sun and Moon Empire, sausages were a type of food, but they had other meanings as well. Could it be that the "sausage" spirit was exactly what she thought it was?
"Are you trying to scare me?"
"I'm not that bored," the leader said casually. "If you don't believe me, ask my teammates. They all know about this guy's sausage spirit. It's as hard as steel and can shoot out a thick, sticky liquid. It's really gross."
"That's right, we can all confirm it."
"That guy's spirit matches his personality—creepy."
"I've heard his academy is a place full of street thugs."
"I've also heard their dean is a kept man, taking the position from a woman, and that there's some kind of complicated relationship between the former and current deans, as well as the vice dean."
"Is that true?"
"Would I lie about something like that?"
Upon hearing this, not only was Xu Huang stunned, but most of the audience in the grand arena of Spirit Hall also felt like they'd just heard a bombshell. They were utterly shocked.
"That's nonsense! When have I ever been involved with Flanders in any way?!" From the Shrek Academy section, Liu Erlong cursed loudly. She glared at Bibi Dong, who was chatting and laughing with Tang San in the distant VIP section. "That old woman must be slandering me through her own team!"
"Xiao Gang, don't believe a word of it!"
Yu Xiaogang lowered his head, silent, but his tightly clenched fists betrayed his inner turmoil. If it weren't for him, perhaps Liu Erlong and Flanders really could have ended up together...
And Bibi Dong—did she still have feelings for me?
Beside him, Flanders adjusted his glasses, looking around at the indignant audience. He couldn't help but shrink his body slightly and muttered to himself, "I wouldn't say I'm living off someone. The academy was a gift from Erlong, and we've always been good partners. Nothing wrong with that, right? And as much as I might like things to be more complicated with Erlong, she never gives me the chance..."
More than ten minutes later, the Spirit Hall battle team had returned to shore. As soon as they landed, the members of the Haotian Sect battle team surrounded them, each wielding a Haotian Hammer. The pairing of two yellow, two purple, and one black soul ring configuration made Xu Huang breathe a little easier—at least these people weren't as exaggeratedly powerful as those from Spirit Hall... Although it seemed none of them had a "sausage" spirit, so it must be with another team.
"That person must be an important figure from the Sun and Moon Empire, right?"
The captain of the Haotian Sect battle team assessed Xu Huang. Noticing her luxurious attire and realizing she had been captured by the Spirit Hall battle team, he deduced that she probably knew many secrets. Capturing her and returning quickly to Spirit City could secure them the victory. "Hand her over, or you'll regret it."
"Captain, why waste time talking? Just attack! We've never been on good terms with Spirit Hall. As long as we're careful and don't kill her, we're good," one of the team members said, swinging his Haotian Hammer. Sparks of electricity crackled around it, and he grinned wickedly, looking rather reckless.
"Heh, as expected of the Haotian Sect, all they know is how to swing a hammer. No brains, just hammers," the Spirit Hall battle team's captain sneered. He instructed two of his team members to move Xu Huang back and take another route, while he and the remaining four surrounded the seven Haotian Sect members. "Let's see how impressive the Haotian Hammer really is!"
"Five against seven?" The captain of the Haotian Sect narrowed his eyes, a surge of anger rising. He pointed at the enemy. "You really think you're that tough?"
"A bunch of reckless, melee-focused brutes," the captain of the Spirit Hall battle team mocked. "You're still stuck in the tactics of ten years ago."
"Only the weak rely on tactics!" the Haotian Sect's captain roared. With the Haotian Hammer in hand, his first soul ring flickered, and he leaped into the air. The hammerhead grew three times its size in an instant, resembling a large water barrel, and it came crashing down toward the Spirit Hall battle team's captain.
The other six members of the Haotian Sect raised their Haotian Hammers and charged at the remaining four members of the Spirit Hall battle team.
At that moment, the battle had begun!
Meanwhile, other teams, such as the Four Elements Academy, who were escorting Fu Hongchen, had just landed when they were met with an ambush from Shrek Academy's battle team. Behind them, the teams from Tian Dou, Xing Luo, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile, and others were also eyeing them closely.
After all, Fu Hongchen held a significant status, making him one of the key prizes in the competition. He needed to be captured.
"Hey, how about a seven-on-seven soul battle?" Oscar suggested. "The winner takes the person. What do you think?"
Fu Hongchen shouted, "This is insulting! You can't just treat me like an object!"
"Isn't that what the Sun and Moon Empire does, too? Don't they see us as slaves?" the captain of the Four Elements team retorted, then turned to Oscar. "This is our prize. If you want him, bring your own team to take him. But honestly, I think it's best if we leave this area..."
He then raised his hand, pointing toward the massive ship in the distance on the sea. With a sinister smile, he said, "That ship's coming, and it carries three Soul Douluo and six Soul Emperors. We don't want them to swoop in and take the prize, do we?"
(End of chapter)