"Alright, everyone, stop."
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward just in time and declared, "Tai Long, Jing Ling, you had a numerical advantage, but you couldn't defeat Xiao San within the time limit. According to the rules, you lost."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar rushed over.
"Well done, Xiao San! You truly are the soul of our Shrek team," Dai Mubai laughed heartily, giving Tang San a friendly nudge on the shoulder.
Ma Hongjun, with his chubby face and big ears, grinned widely, his fat jiggling as he spoke, "Yeah, Third Brother, you're only at level forty-one, yet you faced two opponents close to becoming Soul Masters without even losing ground. That's awesome!"
"Brother, are you okay?" Xiao Wu quickly walked up, inspecting Tang San from head to toe, and even started checking him for injuries with her hands.
Tai Long and Jing Ling approached Tang San and said earnestly, "Third Young Master, I admit defeat. Even if my father were here, he might not be able to beat you."
Tang San humbly scratched the back of his head, "You two just weren't coordinated enough, which gave me an opportunity. Otherwise, it's hard to say who would have won."
As the children laughed and chatted, Flender looked at Liu Erlong with a mischievous smile, raising his eyebrows and feeling quite smug. He almost said outright that her students couldn't compare to his.
Liu Erlong, already feeling frustrated, became even more displeased. She snorted coldly, turned her head, and walked away, not wanting to stand next to Flender. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Ahem." At this moment, Yu Xiaogang cleared his throat, and the laughter immediately stopped as everyone turned to look at him.
With his hands behind his back, Yu Xiaogang adopted an air of authority and said, "Chen Xuan, you previously stated that your specialties are both offense and agility, correct?"
"That's right." Chen Xuan frowned slightly, unsure of what the other was planning.
The Shrek members' attention was drawn to him, and they looked at the master with confusion.
Yu Xiaogang's lips curled into a faint smile as he said, "If that's the case, then your next sparring match will be against Dai Mubai, with the same time limit of one incense stick."
As soon as these words left his mouth, before Chen Xuan could respond, Dai Mubai was already unhappy. He said, "Master, I'm already at level forty-two, while Brother Chen is only a level thirty-eight support-type Soul Master. What's the point of this arrangement?"
He doubted Chen Xuan's earlier claim, thinking that the data didn't highlight much, and assumed the other was just a support Soul Master.
When a support-type faces a battle Soul Master, even a Soul Emperor wouldn't stand a chance, let alone a young man who hasn't even reached level forty.
"Exactly, Master. Even if this Brother Chen is indeed a battle Soul Master, there's still a huge gap between him and Dai Laoda. What's the point of this?" Ma Hongjun chimed in.
The rest of the Shrek team and Tai Long's group also stepped forward, trying to persuade the master, not understanding the arrangement and hoping he would reconsider.
Among them, some astute individuals, like Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong, began to suspect that Yu Xiaogang might be deliberately setting up Chen Xuan for failure as a way to put him in his place after the earlier unpleasantness.
Chen Xuan rubbed his face, realizing what was happening. No wonder they organized this friendly sparring match—it was a setup to make him look bad.
However, he wasn't too worried. It was the perfect opportunity to showcase his combat abilities. His Rasengan technique had taken shape, and combined with the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could strike unexpectedly.
Yu Xiaogang smiled faintly, watching Chen Xuan, curious to see how the young man would handle the situation.
Liu Erlong and Flender exchanged puzzled glances, not understanding what Yu Xiaogang was up to. However, they didn't question him. After decades of working together, they knew that Yu Xiaogang wasn't one to act without reason; there had to be a purpose behind his actions.
The Shrek members and the reserve team, however, were stumped, unable to figure out the real intention behind the arrangement.
Even Tang San, after pondering for a while, couldn't decipher Yu Xiaogang's meaning. He thought it was his own problem; the teacher must have a reason, but he simply couldn't grasp it.
"No need to discuss it further. If the master arranged this, there must be a reason. I am willing to spar with Dai Laoda," Chen Xuan stepped forward, accepting the challenge.
He thought it was a good chance to display some of his strength and change the perception others had of him based on his past.
The Shrek members looked at him, a level thirty-eight facing a level forty-two Soul Master—difficult even for a battle Soul Master, let alone a support-type. It seemed like a hopeless battle.
Tai Long and Jiang Zhu shook their heads, feeling a bit sympathetic, not wanting to see their friend of several years lose, especially at such a critical moment.
No one noticed the slight smile on Yu Xiaogang's face.
"Since you have no objections, let me explain the rules," Yu Xiaogang continued with a smile. "Chen Xuan, your spirit power is only at level thirty-eight. To make it fair, Mubai, you can't use your fourth spirit ability. If neither of you wins by the time the incense burns out, Mubai will be considered the loser. Is that clear?"
"No problem." Chen Xuan remained calm and asked, "Master, may I use my self-made weapon?"
Yu Xiaogang slightly raised his head, his face filled with pride, and said, "As long as it's not Tang San's hidden weapons, there's no issue."
At this point, although Dai Mubai felt unhappy, he couldn't say anything more.
The Shrek members reluctantly stepped back, making room for the two to begin their duel.
"Brother Chen, don't say I didn't give you a chance; I'll let you make the first three moves." Dai Mubai stepped forward, his spirit power surging, and a white tiger appeared behind him.
This was his martial soul, the Evil Eyed White Tiger, whose quality had greatly improved after consuming the celestial herb Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum.
With his martial soul activated, Dai Mubai's muscles bulged, almost tearing his clothes, exuding a sense of explosive power.
"Alright, be careful then." Chen Xuan smiled, pulling out a gleaming silver kunai. He needed a sure-hit opportunity.
At this moment, he and Dai Mubai were only ten meters apart. At this distance, using the Flying Thunder God Technique would take at most one second, guaranteeing a surprise attack.
After all, he hadn't used this technique in front of anyone yet.
"Come on, I'm ready," Dai Mubai said, opening his arms, prepared to counter Chen Xuan's attack at any moment.
Yu Xiaogang stood between the two, seeing that both were ready. He was about to announce, "I declare this match—" but before he could finish, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine, a sense of death looming over him, making his body tense up.
With a swoosh, a silver weapon flashed by, its cold light gleaming, missing Yu Xiaogang's face by only half a foot, nearly hitting him.