💖 If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon! I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/Veni_V
---------------
In the following days of the preliminaries, the situation for Shrek Academy finally began to look better. With the addition of Yu Tianheng, an attack system Spirit Ancestor who possessed the legendary Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Spirit, their team performance stabilized.
Ten days passed in a flash, and Shrek Academy managed to achieve a solid record of eight wins and two losses. One of those losses was an expected defeat at the hands of the unfathomably strong Tian Ling Academy.
The other was a very narrow loss to the speed-focused Divine Wind Academy. While their record wasn't perfect, it was enough to keep them among the frontrunners with a real chance to advance to the next stage.
As for Tian Ling Academy, they continued their march toward victory. They won all ten of their matches without much trouble, leading the scoreboard with a huge advantage. However, ever since Tang Chen defeated Shrek Academy in the first match in a way that shocked everyone in the arena, he hadn't stepped onto the stage again.
The matches that followed were all handled by Xiao Rui'er and the other team members. Tang Chen simply sat quietly in the spectator stands like a normal member of the audience.
Today, the atmosphere at the Heaven Dou Great Spirit Arena was louder and more exciting than usual. A highly anticipated battle was about to take place, and thousands of eyes were fixed on the stage. Even though Tang Chen was sitting in the stands, his eyes were also focused on the Douhun Stage below. His expression looked heavy and his brows were slightly furrowed. It seemed like his thoughts were far away, and he didn't feel part of the cheering crowd.
"Kid, what's been wrong with you lately? You seem distracted. Why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?" Dugu Bo asked. He had noticed Tang Chen's strange behavior and glanced at him with a confused look.
At that moment, Tang Chen was indeed very worried. Ever since that night when he learned that Ditian was nearby, he felt a constant sense of pressure in his heart. He was worried that Ditian was hiding in the shadows and watching his every move.
This feeling of being watched by someone far more powerful than himself was like a sharp sword hanging over his head. It made him feel very uneasy. However, he couldn't tell Dugu Bo about Xiao Rui'er, Ditian, the Red King, or the secrets of the Star Dou Great Forest yet.
"Old Poison, let me ask you something," Tang Chen said, taking a soft breath. He tried to find a way to talk about his worries without giving away too many secrets. "If you found out that everything you did was being watched by someone you couldn't possibly fight, what would you do? What if you didn't know if they were good or evil, or if they were just using you?"
Dugu Bo paused for a moment, and a spark of light flashed in his eyes. He had lived a long life and was very clever. He understood that Tang Chen wasn't talking about a normal person. He guessed it might be an existence that wasn't even human. Dugu Bo didn't ask for more details. Instead, he reached out his thin hand and patted Tang Chen on the shoulder.
"Kid, I don't know exactly what you're afraid of," Dugu Bo said in a comforting tone. "But this world has always been a place where the strong rule over the weak. At the top of the mountain, there will always be only a few people or a few beings.
Before you are strong enough to change things or understand them, thinking too much will only make you feel worse. Since this person hasn't hurt you yet and is only watching, you should focus on getting stronger. You need to become strong enough so that one day, no matter what happens, you can handle it yourself."
Dugu Bo looked up at the sky and continued, "Don't worry so much. There will be a way forward when the time comes. Even if the sky falls, there are taller people who will hold it up for you. I promised to stay by your side and protect you. Even if someone as strong as Qian Daoliu shows up, I'll do my best to keep you safe."
After hearing Dugu Bo's words, Tang Chen started to feel a bit better. His furrowed brows relaxed, and the darkness in his heart seemed to fade away. He realized that overthinking was useless and that training was the only real solution. He nodded slowly and said, "You're right. I'll focus on what matters."
Just then, the voice of the host rang out through a spirit tool, echoing across the Douhun Stage. "Next up is the eleventh round of the preliminaries! It's Shrek Academy versus Blazing Academy!"
The crowd exploded with cheers and shouts. Blazing Academy was a famous team with many fans. Shrek Academy also got a lot of attention, though mostly because of their bright green uniforms and the drama they had been involved in lately. Under the gaze of the crowd, the Shrek team walked out from the tunnel.
They were still wearing those same green uniforms. Dai Mubai walked at the front with a serious face, his eyes full of spirit. Right behind him was Yu Tianheng, who looked very calm. Behind them were Tai Long, Xiao Wu, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling.
When the last person walked out, Dugu Bo frowned. He looked shocked and whispered to himself, "Wait, is that Tang San? How did he recover so quickly?"
Both Dugu Bo and Tang Chen had thought Tang San would be stuck in bed for a long time. His injuries had been very bad, and his external Spirit Bone had been destroyed. They expected him to be out for at least half a month. But only ten days had passed, and here he was, ready to fight. Even though his face was a bit pale, he was moving normally.
Tang Chen looked closely at Tang San and felt his spirit power. It wasn't at its peak, but it was stable. "He must have used some very rare treasure," Tang Chen whispered. "Normal medicine and healing Spirit Masters couldn't have fixed him this fast."
Tang Chen was right. Yu Xiaogang had been desperate to get Tang San back into the arena. Shrek Academy needed their core fighter. To make this happen, Yu Xiaogang used the last of the Soul Returning Grass and Dragon Blood Ginseng that Liu Erlong had brought back from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. These were top-tier medicines that could save lives and heal the worst wounds.
On the other side of the stage, the seven students from Blazing Academy stepped forward. They all looked to be about twenty years old. Their leader was a young man in a golden uniform named Huo Wushuang.
He was a level 42 attack system Spirit Master with the Fire Dragon Spirit. Next to him was the only girl on the team, Huo Wu. She was a level 43 control system Spirit Master with the Fire Shadow Spirit.
Tang Chen watched them for a moment and then yawned. He stretched his arms and looked bored. "This match isn't going to be interesting at all. We already know who wins," he said to Dugu Bo. "Tang San uses Blue Silver Grass, which is a plant.
It's completely countered by fire. Against a team like Blazing Academy, his control won't work well. He's probably going to be very upset after this. I'm going back to the academy now."
Tang Chen stood up to leave. Dugu Bo looked down at the stage and realized Tang Chen was right about the match. "Are you coming back this afternoon?" Dugu Bo asked. "Our Tianxing Academy is fighting Sunshine Academy."
"Sunshine Academy?" Tang Chen stopped for a second. He remembered that they used mental control spirits. "No, I won't come back. It will just be another easy victory. There's no point in watching."
Tang Chen waved his hand and walked toward the exit. As he was leaving the busy arena, he ran into Xiao Rui'er at the entrance. She was also heading back to the academy. They didn't say anything, but they walked together in silence.
They were so focused on walking that they didn't notice an old man in a white robe following them. The old man had a cold, mean face and followed them like a ghost through the crowd.