Surrounded by the members of the Emperor Team, Teacher Qin Ming's eyes sparkled as he listened to Lan Si's words to Ye Lingling. Yes, this was the Lan Si he recognized—one who never underestimated his opponents, regardless of who they were.
This time, he just wanted Yu Tianheng and the others to understand that there are always greater talents out there and that they shouldn't look down on soul masters from all over.
"Alright, then. This time, Tianheng, Yan Yan, Lingling, Shimo, Shimo, Osler, and Lan Si will take the stage. You, Yufeng, will stay in the box and watch the match with me through the crystal window," he decided.
"Yes, teacher." Yufeng showed no signs of dissatisfaction or surprise. Lan Si's strength was evident; even as the captain of the Emperor Team, Yu Tianheng wouldn't dare claim an easy victory. If Lan Si participated in the group fight, one of them was bound to be sidelined.
After all, their strengths were among the weakest in the Emperor Team.
"Lan Si, do you want to place a bet on this match? The odds for our Emperor Team are 1:1, while Shrek's are 1:5," Qin Ming asked.
"Of course." Lan Si took out a gold card from his soul guide. "Just bet 500,000 gold soul coins on the Emperor Team to win."
Qin Ming frowned. "Isn't that a bit too risky? It seems you don't plan to intervene until after Tianheng and the others potentially lose. If Tianheng and the others lose, do you really have the confidence to handle all five of Shrek's soul masters? Lingling is just a support-type soul master; she can't provide you with direct help in battle."
Lan Si chuckled awkwardly. "Teacher Qin Ming, I understand. I've fought against a few of Shrek's members; no matter how strong they are, they're just my former opponents. Moreover—"
Suddenly, Lan Si's expression turned serious. "Enemies that have been defeated by me are never seen as true opponents. I give them time to catch up until they can no longer see me."
"Hmm…" Qin Ming took the gold card from Lan Si's hand, smiling wryly. He had thought Yu Tianheng and the others were arrogant enough, but it seemed Lan Si was even more so. However, if Lan Si could remain undefeated, perhaps he could truly succeed.
At the Center Arena of the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena
The area was not particularly large, just slightly bigger than the other sub-arenas. There were no open-air stands or spectators—only enclosed boxes. The viewers inside the boxes could see the arena through the crystal glass, while those outside could not see into the boxes, creating a mysterious atmosphere.
Due to the absence of open stands, the central arena was exceptionally large, with a diameter exceeding seventy meters, enough to accommodate hundreds of combatants.
Suddenly, the previously bright lights in the central arena intensified, focusing and converging in mid-air. A young girl, with a pair of snow-white wings and a graceful figure, wearing a fitted outfit and holding a conical megaphone, descended slowly onto the combat platform. She had wavy brown hair and a professional smile, flapping her wings as she landed.
Once on the ground, the girl twirled around, waving at the audience behind the crystal glass in each box. With a sweet voice, she announced, "I'm the host, Dou Dou. I'm honored to once again host the team battle at the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena. It's a privilege to have you all here. Today, we have a spectacular match, and this is the only match scheduled for tonight. Though they are only at the Soul Sect level, all are holders of Silver Soul Badges—true talents. You won't be disappointed. Now, let me introduce the two teams."
"First, we have the Emperor Team, led by Yu Tianheng, with the martial soul Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon."
"Then, we have the Shrek Seven Monsters, led by the Evil Eye White Tiger, with the martial soul White Tiger."
As the host's voice faded, the Emperor Team and the Shrek Seven Monsters took to the stage, facing each other in formation, seven on each side, with captains facing captains and vice-captains facing vice-captains.
Before the match even began, the tension between the two sides was palpable as their gazes collided sharply.
Lan Si stood beside Dugu Yan, and coincidentally, across from him was Xiao Wu, the girl he had previously beaten to a pulp.
To Xiao Wu's sides were Vice-Captain Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing.
"What a coincidence! I didn't expect to meet you so soon," Xiao Wu said first, throwing a challenging glare.
Feigning innocence, Lan Si looked confused and then turned to Dou Dou. "Host, who is this person?"
"Uh…" Host Dou Dou looked embarrassed. It was the first time a contestant had asked her to identify their opponent since the Suotuo Great Spirit Arena was established. "Sorry, I can't disclose contestant identities. However, I can tell you her competition name: 'Soft-Bone Demon Rabbit.'"
"Oh." Lan Si tapped his palm, feigning realization. He winked at Zhu Zhuqing, causing her lips to twitch slightly. Then he teased Xiao Wu, "So you're the old rabbit who got kicked to a pulp last time? No wonder you look familiar. I've faced so many soul masters in the past month that I couldn't remember. My bad!"
"It seems you've healed up. Tsk tsk… Lucky for you that I went easy last time, or else you wouldn't just look like a pig's head."
Lan Si was still wearing the blue outfit from their last fight, with his mask on. Since he had met Tang San and Xiao Wu in his true form a month ago, he had even slightly altered his voice for his own amusement.
"You…" Hearing the term "pig's head," especially from the one who had beaten her, Xiao Wu's face flushed red, and tears welled up in her eyes. Infuriated, she was ready to unleash her martial soul and take revenge on Lan Si.
At that moment, she felt like she might explode. The very person she had longed to get revenge on not only had forgotten her but also dared to touch her sore spot.
Indeed, for Xiao Wu, the mention of "pig's head" was a deep taboo.
Currently, those two words were not just a taboo for Xiao Wu, but for everyone in Shrek Academy, because anyone who brought up "pig's head" would make Xiao Wu upset, and Tang San would immediately lose his temper.
In the arena, starting a fight before the host called for the match was against the rules. Those who did so could be judged as losing or even expelled from the arena, facing severe penalties.
Tang San certainly wouldn't let Xiao Wu fall into his trap. He grabbed her hand and whispered, "Xiao Wu, calm down. There will be plenty of chances to teach him a lesson."
After saying this, he couldn't help but smirk at Lan Si, taunting, "Whose little dog is this? Why does it dare to run over here and bark?"
Lan Si responded with a playful, "Oh? The little dog is mine?"
"The little dog is yours ?" Tang San blurted out, but immediately regretted it.
Damn, that was practically admitting he was the dog!
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