"One versus seven?"
Not only did Wang Yan's expression change upon hearing this, but everyone else in the room stood up as well.
"Yuhao, this is the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Battle Tournament, the most prestigious competition on the continent. This isn't something to be taken lightly!" Wang Yan said in a stern voice. "I know you're strong, I know you have great potential, but as your team leader, I need you to give me a reason for this decision."
The nearby reserve team members were all shocked, and even the main team member, Ling Luochen, widened her eyes.
A one-versus-seven? Even the most confident and prideful among the main team members, Ma Xiaotao, wouldn't dare say such a thing.
The strength of the enemy was always an unknown. Any unforeseen strategy or tactic could lead to their side's defeat.
The other academies participating in the tournament were no slouches either. They were sending their most talented and powerful teams to compete.
And Huo Yuhao was just a reserve member. How could he dare to make such a bold statement?
"Teacher Wang, this is a personal letter from Elder Xuan. He has entrusted the captain position of Shrek Academy's team in this tournament to me, which gives me the authority to make certain tactical decisions." Huo Yuhao smiled lightly.
"And if you need a reason, I can tell you this: whether it's against Ma Xiaotao or Dai Yueheng, I'm confident I won't lose to either. Is that reason enough?"
It wasn't just the Shrek Academy team that was having a meeting; almost all the participating academies were doing their final preparations. Naturally, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, who were staying on the same floor as Shrek Academy, was no exception.
As the perennial runner-up in the Soul Battle Tournament, they were treated nearly the same as Shrek Academy at the Star Emperor Hotel. Their goal, however, remained unchanged: to strive for first place.
Being second place was always a painful position because whenever people mentioned you, they would always talk about the one who stood above you.
The relationship was somewhat akin to Zhao Yun, who entered the enemy camp seven times in the Three Kingdoms era, and Liu Shan, who was forced to enter seven times as well.
Although Liu Shan was also remarkable for his feats, the world only remembered Zhao Yun's name.
"We've used our spies in the Star Luo Empire and obtained accurate information. Among Shrek Academy's registered participants, only one female is nineteen years old, and the rest are under fifteen. This means Shrek Academy didn't even send seven main team members to compete this time. Only one person from the reserve team of the last tournament is here. Do you know what this means?"
In the conference room of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy, two elderly men sat at the head of the table, with fourteen participating students sitting on both sides.
The students on the left were visibly older, while those on the right were younger. Clearly, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy had sent both a main team and a reserve team for the competition in five years.
The fourteen students exchanged glances, shaking their heads in confusion.
"We don't know."
"This means disrespect! Shrek Academy no longer sees our Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy as a serious opponent!" one of the elders said angrily. "We've been studying them for five years, and they think sending just a reserve team can defeat us!"
"This is a slap in the face! Do you understand? A blatant slap in the face! According to the tournament rules, registration is already closed as of today, and they intend to face us with this lineup!"
"Relax, Elder Ma. Shrek Academy isn't stupid. Don't they know that sending only three people wouldn't be enough to defeat us? I think they might've encountered some unexpected situation. Shrek Academy has always taken us seriously; they wouldn't be this careless," said a young man with a delicate appearance, seated at the head of the reserve team.
The young man had bright blue eyes, a tall and slender figure, and his hands, resting on the table, were particularly white and elegant. His hands were so flawless in their jade-like appearance that even girls would envy them.
He seemed very fond of his own hands, as he kept looking at them even while speaking with Elder Ma, as if he were admiring the most exquisite artwork in the world.
Elder Ma's face turned slightly red. He, too, had suspected something similar, but his earlier words were meant to boost morale.
At this moment, the leader of the main team, a tall and burly young man with a striking resemblance to Elder Ma, was holding a list of names. His eyes sparkled with energy, and his whole body seemed full of strength.
"Captain: Huo Yuhao. Team members: Ling Luochen, Beibei, Xu Sanshi..."
"Wait, Senior Ma Rulong, what did you just say?!" The delicate-looking young man immediately straightened up and snatched the list from Ma Rulong's hand.
"Xiao Hongchen, you—"
Ma Rulong was a bit upset, but the elderly man next to him glared at him, stopping him from saying anything further.
Although Xiao Hongchen was only the reserve team captain, both Ma Rulong, the main team captain, and the two elders in charge of the team were wary of him.
After all, Xiao Hongchen was the beloved grandson of Jing Hongchen, the master of Mingde Hall. He was a precious treasure, held in the palm of his family's hand.
Crossing Xiao Hongchen could mean losing funding for new research projects.
"Huo Yuhao? Wow, he's participating too?" The girl sitting next to Xiao Hongchen was his younger sister, Meng Hongchen. Upon hearing Huo Yuhao's name, she immediately leaned over to look at the list.
"Huo Yuhao... Huo Yuhao! You messed with my sister and took my notes. You're asking for death!"
Back when Meng Hongchen was preparing for the Soul Engineering exam, she asked Huo Yuhao to borrow his Soul Engineering notes. Even though a Soul Engineer's notebook was a very personal item, Xiao Hongchen, as her doting older brother, couldn't refuse his sister's request.
But who would've thought that after a trip to the Extreme North, where she obtained her fifth soul ring, Meng Hongchen would end up giving her brother's precious Soul Engineering notes to a guy named Huo Yuhao!
That notebook had been Xiao Hongchen's companion since he began learning how to create soul tools, filled with his painstaking efforts and meticulous notes.
Yet his dear sister had given it away like a flower to a complete stranger!
You're dead, Huo Yuhao!
For the next half month, Xiao Hongchen buried himself in the library, reconstructing his Soul Engineering notes from memory while researching new materials.
Fifteen days, 360 hours, 1,296,000 seconds! Every moment, Xiao Hongchen's mind was consumed with thoughts of Huo Yuhao!
Looking at his sister's blushing cheeks beside him and remembering the countless days and nights he spent almost breaking his hand rewriting those notes, Xiao Hongchen ground his teeth so hard they made an audible *crack*.
"Elder Ma, rest assured. This time, I will do everything in my power to crush Shrek Academy's team beneath our feet!"
Elder Ma looked in surprise at Xiao Hongchen, who seemed as if he had been injected with adrenaline. Although he was a bit confused, he still nodded in agreement.
"Xiao Hongchen is right. Since Shrek is so arrogant, we'll make them taste the consequences of their actions!"