"What?!"
Tang San and the others were genuinely shocked.
Tang San was especially stunned upon hearing about Zhao Wuji's strength, while the others were mostly pretending.
Dai Mubai continued, "Alright, time is short, so I'll give you a brief overview of Teacher Zhao's abilities. Then, you can plan your strategy and try to last as long as possible."
"Teacher Zhao's martial spirit is the Vigorous Vajra Bear, a seventy-sixth-level Battle Soul Saint. His entire body has no weaknesses, and his defense is astonishing. Even soul masters of the same level find it difficult to break through his defenses."
"Normally, speed is Teacher Zhao's only weakness, but with such a significant power gap between you and him, that's not going to help you much."
"Teacher Zhao is known as the Immovable King. His strength and defense are his strongest points. Forget about the five of you— even with my help, we wouldn't be able to last a single incense stick's time under his attacks. The only thing we can hope for is that he doesn't take this too seriously."
At that moment, a graceful, long-haired girl in green asked curiously, "I thought the Immovable King was being hunted by Spirit Hall? He disappeared from the continent for nearly ten years. Who would've guessed he was hiding here?" (adopting her anime portrayal with long hair and green clothing)
Dai Mubai glanced at the girl in surprise. "Yes, that's correct. If you've heard of Teacher Zhao's reputation, you should know how strong he is. Now, introduce yourselves, your abilities, and let's figure out how to work together to resist Teacher Zhao's test."
Tang San spoke first, "My name is Tang San, martial spirit: Blue Silver Grass. I'm a thirtieth-level control-type Tool Soul Master."
Next was Xiao Wu, "I'm Xiao Wu, martial spirit: Soft Bone Rabbit, thirty-ninth-level assault-type Battle Soul Master."
Su Ming followed without hesitation, "I'm Su Ming, martial spirit: Wood Element, forty-third-level support-type Tool Soul Master."
Dai Mubai couldn't help but say, "Su Ming, didn't you say you were a control-type Soul Master?"
Su Ming retorted, "I'm versatile. Is that a problem? And besides, controlling the enemy and letting my teammates attack is a form of support, isn't it? There's a saying: 'A defensive Soul Master who can't attack isn't a good support Soul Master!'"
Dai Mubai and Tang San: Do you even realize what you're saying? Doesn't that sound a bit contradictory?
The other girls quietly stifled their laughter.
The green-clad girl smiled and said, "I'm Ning Rongrong, martial spirit: Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, thirty-fourth-level support-type Tool Soul Master."
Lastly, the cold, icy girl spoke in a flat tone, "Zhu Zhuqing, martial spirit: Hell Civet, thirty-fifth-level agility-type Battle Soul Master."
Once everyone had introduced themselves, both Dai Mubai and Tang San were taken aback by Ning Rongrong's identity.
The others, already aware of who Ning Rongrong was, weren't surprised but still played along with feigned reactions.
Tang San was shocked, "Your martial spirit is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda? So, you're from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan?"
Tang San had heard from his teacher that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was the most powerful support martial spirit on the continent, and only direct descendants of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan could possess it.
Ning Rongrong playfully stuck out her tongue, "I'm no different from anyone else. I sneaked out of my house. Let's get through this test first, and I'll explain more later."
Su Ming thought to himself, If your family hadn't let you leave on purpose and assigned people to secretly protect you, you wouldn't have been able to sneak out at all.
In fact, Su Ming always had a question in his mind: Why would Ning Fengzhi, such a wise man, send his little princess to attend Shrek Academy of all places? A simple investigation would've revealed Shrek Academy's lack of resources. While the teaching staff was decent, it meant nothing to someone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Why didn't Ning Fengzhi send Ning Rongrong to a better academy?
Then again, Su Ming thought, If Ning Rongrong hadn't come to Shrek Academy, how would I have met her?
Ning Rongrong continued, "My three soul rings can boost everyone's speed, strength, and soul power. The enhancement is about forty percent."
Everyone was astonished by her words. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda truly lived up to its reputation as the best support martial spirit. A forty percent boost would significantly increase their chances of passing the trial.
Dai Mubai took a deep breath and said, "You five have a good setup, with clear roles and no overlap, except for Su Ming and Tang San."
He glanced at Su Ming and Tang San.
Su Ming knew what Dai Mubai was getting at, so he said, "Let Tang San control the field with Blue Silver Grass, and I'll protect Ning Rongrong. Since her martial spirit is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Zhao Wuji will definitely target her first."
Tang San nodded in agreement. He would control the field, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing would focus on attacking from the sides, and Su Ming, with his wood element, could control, attack, and defend. It made perfect sense for him to protect Ning Rongrong from the backline.
In critical moments, Su Ming could also attack and disrupt Zhao Wuji. He was so versatile that even Tang San felt a bit envious.
Tang San was also puzzled. How does Su Ming excel in multiple areas without becoming a jack of all trades but master of none?
What Tang San didn't know was that, based on his soul ring configuration, Su Ming was technically a support-type Soul Master, similar to Ning Rongrong. His four soul skills could be used on himself or others, making him a pure support type.
Hearing Su Ming's suggestion, Ning Rongrong giggled, "Then I'll be counting on you to protect me, Su Ming."
Su Ming, momentarily captivated by her smile, thought to himself, Wow, she really is beautiful.
He patted his chest confidently, "Don't worry."
Tang San, now the core strategist of the team, began laying out the plan: "During the attack, Ning Rongrong will focus on supporting us. Su Ming will protect her while helping me control Zhao Wuji's movements and supporting Xiao Wu in frontal attacks. Zhu Zhuqing's speed will allow her to harass from the flanks."
After laying out the plan, Tang San turned to Su Ming and said, "In this plan, you have a lot to handle. You'll need to protect Ning Rongrong, assist with controlling, and attack when necessary. Is that okay?"
Su Ming lazily responded, "No problem. There's just one thing I need to mention."
Tang San immediately asked, "What's the issue?"
Su Ming reminded Tang San, "Remember what we talked about at the hotel yesterday? Now's the time for you to unleash your true strength!"
Tang San hesitated. He didn't want to reveal his hidden weapons so soon, especially since he had just met the others. Unsure, he asked, "Is it really necessary? After all, Zhao Wuji is still our teacher. Should we really go that far?"