Since Huo Yuhao had already covered the first day of the elimination rounds as a substitute, the Shrek Academy team had a couple of days to rest.
However, the reinforcements they were eagerly awaiting never showed up.
It seemed that Shrek Academy had no intention of sending additional participants to the tournament. Despite the fact that Huo Yuhao had made it clear that this All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament would be his final dance with Shrek Academy, the academy's higher-ups didn't consider substituting him out.
After all, Shrek Academy had no other options at the moment. And since Huo Yuhao had made a military pledge in front of Elder Mu, they could only watch and see how he would perform a miraculous turnaround in such a challenging situation.
During these two days, the busiest person was undoubtedly Wang Yan. He spent most of his time going in and out of the hotel, moving around so much that he was almost like a dragon who showed his head but never his tail.
It wasn't until the evening of the third day that he gathered all the team members for a meeting in the conference room.
"Ling Luochen, how is your injury?" he asked.
"With the medicine Huo Yuhao gave me, it's pretty much healed," Ling Luochen replied.
Speaking of Huo Yuhao's medicine, Ling Luochen was initially very reluctant to use it. She couldn't help but think about the incident where Huo Yuhao used aphrodisiacs to exterminate the evil soul masters.
As a result, every time she took the medicine Huo Yuhao gave her, she locked her room doors and windows tightly, and barricaded herself in the bathroom, submerging herself in ice that she created with her martial spirit before daring to consume the medicine.
However, it was clear that she was being overly cautious. Huo Yuhao had no such intentions toward her. After taking the medicine for a few days and experiencing how her injuries healed rapidly, Ling Luochen began to relax, and her relationship with Huo Yuhao even grew a bit closer.
Wang Yan nodded in approval. "That's good."
Then, he turned his attention to the reserve team, led by Bei Bei and the others.
"In the first battle, Yuhao displayed the true spirit of our Shrek Academy. Over the past two days, I have been observing the matches of other academies while also paying close attention to their reactions to our performance in the first battle. The impact has been even better than I expected. Right now, none of the other academies have any idea of our true strength, and Yuhao's name has become synonymous with invincibility in their discussions."
"The first round of the elimination matches was nothing short of brutal. Apart from the academy that advanced without a match, hardly any other teams managed to advance as easily as we did. Even the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy faced fierce resistance from their opponents and took a full ten minutes to finish their battle. Tomorrow, the round-robin tournament will begin. The matchups have already been announced, arranged in the order of advancement from the first round, so now I need to discuss our tactics for tomorrow."
Huo Yuhao raised his hand and, after receiving Wang Yan's permission, spoke up, "Teacher Wang, could you first explain the competition format? It seems like many of us aren't very familiar with it."
Wang Yan nodded with a smile. "Alright then, let's go over the rules of the round-robin stage. There are three combat formats: one-on-one knockout matches, seven-on-seven team battles, and the more unique two-two-three battles."
"If we draw a seven-on-seven team battle, it's straightforward. Yuhao will lead the team as usual, and we shouldn't have any problems. If we draw the one-on-one knockout format, Yuhao will go first, and the rest of you will follow in descending order of age."
"In the one-on-one knockout format, it's not just one fight per person. The loser steps down, and the winner continues until all seven members of one side are eliminated. In this type of battle, as long as the opponent doesn't field a series of Soul Kings or stronger, Yuhao should be able to handle it."
"The most challenging is the two-two-three format. Typically, it involves two rounds of two-on-two battles followed by a three-on-three match."
"Even if Yuhao wins one of the two-on-two matches, if we lose the other two, we will still be declared the losers. Therefore, Ling Luochen, I will pair you with different partners as needed to secure the victory in the second match."
Ling Luochen nodded to indicate her understanding.
"This is our basic plan. For us, the most favorable formats are the first two, while the two-two-three battle is where things might go wrong. Let me emphasize this once more: during the matches, you must be cautious of your opponents' soul engineers, as they can freely use soul tools during combat. With the experience of our first match, although Yuhao's deterrence remains effective, our opponents will likely be more vigilant and won't be as easily defeated."
"Also, Yuhao, don't hesitate to use your spiritual detection to assist others in their battles. For the honor of our academy, we have to seize every opportunity to win."
Huo Yuhao furrowed his brow, a playful smile appearing on his lips. In a calm tone, he asked, "Teacher Wang, are you suggesting we… cheat?"
"This…" Wang Yan hesitated, his face turning slightly red. "Yuhao, given our current situation, without our original main team members, we have to use whatever loopholes we can find in the competition rules…"
"Oh, loopholes in the rules?" Huo Yuhao let out a fancy whistle, clapping his hands. "By that logic, if I were to prepare some medication to disguise one's bone age, would it be acceptable for Elder Xuan to take it and compete on our behalf?"
"If that's the case, what's the point of this meeting? Let's disband now! With a Super Douluo stepping in, the championship is already in Shrek Academy's pocket—what's left to compete for?"
"Teacher Wang, I always thought you were a knowledgeable, responsible, and honorable teacher dedicated to the field of education. But seeing you today, you're not above using tricks either. If you intend to preserve Shrek Academy's so-called millennia-old honor by cheating, then forgive me—I, Huo Yuhao, won't participate!"
He stood up and headed straight for the door.
Wang Yan's face went through several shades, turning red and pale. Yes, as a teacher, how could he teach his students to cheat?
A teacher's duty is to educate, and nurturing values is even more important than imparting knowledge. Otherwise, what would become of soul masters if they were all turned into evil soul masters? Wouldn't that be a joke in the continent's soul master community?
For the sake of Shrek Academy's so-called honor, should he really teach students the wrong way to conduct themselves?
Was this so-called millennia-old honor truly that important?
"Yuhao, I was wrong… I lost my head for a moment. The essence of this competition lies in fair competition, and it should never be tainted by any form of dishonesty. Please… give your teacher one more chance, alright?"
To everyone's shock, Wang Yan bowed deeply to Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly, stepping forward to help Wang Yan stand.
He never intended to make things too difficult for the teacher who had always supported him since his days as a novice. Everything he did was merely to advise Wang Yan to pull back before it was too late.
A single misstep could lead to a series of wrong moves. By planting the seeds of fairness and justice in their hearts, he could guide them toward the right path in the future.
The pre-competition meeting concluded, and everyone left the conference room.
As Huo Yuhao headed back to his room, a smile played on his lips as he glanced down the corridor.
At the other end stood Xiao Hongchen, gazing at him with deep, focused eyes.
"So, you're Huo Yuhao? Remember my name—I'm Xiao Hongchen, and I will defeat you!"
Xiao Hongchen raised his right hand and gave a thumbs-down gesture toward Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao merely smiled, then took out Xiao Hongchen's notebook from his storage soul tool. He brought it to his nose and took a deep, deliberate sniff of the cover.
"Xiao Hongchen? Your notebook… is quite moist!"