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Dusk deepened, and the city lights began to twinkle.
Inside the top-floor private room of a luxurious hotel in Heaven Dou City, Ning Fengzhi and his beloved daughter Ning Rongrong sat opposite each other. The two pillars of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School—Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong—stood silently on either side, as usual. The light from the crystal chandelier filtered through the glazed lamps, casting a dreamlike glow throughout the room.
The maids quietly laid out the refreshments and bowed as they exited, the gilded doors closing silently, completely shutting out the outside World's clamor.
Ning Rongrong put down her silver chopsticks and blinked her clear, glazed-like eyes: "Father, what's so important that you have to tell me during dinner?"
Ning Fengzhi elegantly wiped the corner of his mouth and said gently, "Rongrong, your father wants to ask you about someone."
Seeing his daughter's puzzled expression, he continued, "How much do you know about Feng Xiao, the captain of the Huang Dou Battle Team?"
"Feng Xiao?" Ning Rongrong's expression suddenly became subtle. "Father, why don't you just ask Crown Prince Qinghe directly about such matters?"
Ning Fengzhi chuckled and shook his head, his fingertips gently caressing his scepter. "Your Crown Prince Qinghe is busy with myriad affairs and is the Crown Prince; it wouldn't be appropriate for your father to directly inquire about his subordinates." He looked at his beloved daughter with gentle eyes. "Your father learned that you once had a Spirit fight with the Huang Dou Battle Team, so I wanted to ask you."
Ning Rongrong slowly put down her teacup, her glazed-like eyes reflecting a hint of memory: "He is very strong, so strong that even Little San was defeated by him."
"What?" Ning Fengzhi's chopsticks paused slightly. Even Chen Xin and Gu Rong, who had always maintained calm expressions, couldn't help but show surprise.
Ning Fengzhi's voice involuntarily rose, asking with some disbelief, "Tang San… wasn't his opponent?"
"In that Spirit fight, we were almost completely overwhelmed," Ning Rongrong's fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of her cup. "Even when Little San used all the Hidden Weapons on him, he couldn't defeat him. Instead, he was severely injured by his zither music and had to recuperate from internal injuries for a long time."
A sharp gleam flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes: "Rongrong, tell me about that match in detail."
As Ning Rongrong recounted the story, the atmosphere in the private room grew increasingly somber. When she described Feng Xiao's exquisite zither music controlling the entire field and suppressing the Shrek Seven Devils, and mentioned how Tang San's Hidden Weapons were all bounced back by the sound waves, Chen Xin and Gu Rong's expressions became extremely fascinating.
When Ning Rongrong described Feng Xiao's unpredictable Spirit usage, even the usually stern Sword Douluo Chen Xin couldn't help but praise, "That child's comprehension of the essence of Spirit far surpasses that of his peers."
Gu Rong stroked his chin and interjected, "With the extreme flow as a foundation, he can develop his Spirit abilities so balanced through unique understanding. Offense and defense are integrated, with almost no weaknesses. If one had to find fault..." He paused, "Perhaps it would be a slight inferiority in close combat."
"Close combat?" Chen Xin sneered, "Among Spirit Masters of the same rank, how many can be faster than his plucking fingers?" The implication was that unless it was a peak expert like Gu Rong, who was proficient in spatial power, ordinary Spirit Masters facing Feng Xiao would have no chance of winning.
Ning Rongrong suddenly remembered something and pouted, "Today I saw him practicing Heart Separation Control; it couldn't be you, Father..."
"It was not taught by me." Ning Fengzhi smiled wryly and shook his head. "If I'm not mistaken, it should be Crown Prince Qinghe's doing."
A sharp glint flashed in Chen Xin's eyes: "Heart Separation Control is a mere trifle in the hands of an ordinary battle Spirit Master, but in this child's hands..." He looked meaningfully out the window. "Every additional realm brings another killing move."
Silence fell over the private room, with only the wisps of smoke rising from the gilded incense burner. Ning Fengzhi gazed at the trajectory of the smoke, lost in thought.
Time flew by, and as the tenth round of the preliminaries concluded, the battle situation in the Heaven Dou division gradually became clear.
Shrek Academy, with a proud record of ten consecutive victories, stood alone at the top of the points table. This once obscure team had now become the most dazzling dark horse of this tournament.
Currently, the only teams maintaining a perfect winning streak alongside Shrek Academy were the other four formidable powerhouses among the Five Element Academies, excluding the Elephant Armored Academy: the Divine Wind, Blazing, Heaven Water, and Thunder Academies.
However, what was intriguing was that after their first match against the Elephant Armored Academy, Shrek Academy never encountered any other Element Academy again. Instead, the Elephant Armored Academy successively clashed with the other four Element Academies, and without exception, they returned defeated. Their boasted diamond defense seemed so vulnerable in front of these old rivals.
By then, the preliminary round's structure was clear: Shrek Academy and the Four Great Element Academies, with perfect winning streaks, firmly held the first group. These five teams, like five blazing suns, hung high at the top of the points table. Meanwhile, the once mighty Elephant Armor Academy had only achieved a dismal record of five wins and five losses, struggling in the middle of the points table. This situation was not only unexpected by the Elephant Armored Academy but also surprised the tournament organizing committee.
As the competition progressed, the gap between the teams became increasingly significant. The five teams in the first group had already pulled far ahead, leaving other participating academies far behind.
Feng Xiao strolled into the VIP section as usual, his moon-white robe immaculate in the morning light. He held the ancient 'Fuxi' in his arms, his fingertips habitually caressing the strings, creating a serene space for himself amidst the bustling arena.
A waiter respectfully led him to his seat, which offered a perfect view of the entire central arena. Feng Xiao nodded slightly in thanks, but his gaze had already fallen upon the green team in the field.
"First round, central arena! Shrek Academy versus Blazing Academy!" The host's impassioned voice echoed throughout the venue. The players from both teams entered with their heads held high amidst deafening cheers, and the entire Great Spirit Arena instantly erupted.
A roar of cheers like a mountain and a tsunami swept through the stands. While there were supporters for Blazing Academy, the majority of the shouts were for the dark horse team that had created miracles along the way. Since defeating the Elephant Armored Academy, Shrek Academy's popularity had soared, and if they could defeat Blazing Academy now, they would surely create a new legend.
Feng Xiao's fingertips suddenly paused on the strings, and his brow furrowed unconsciously. Through the perception of 'Fuxi,' he clearly sensed an anomaly in the Shrek team's lineup—Tang San, who should have been the core, was nowhere to be seen.
"The plot has actually deviated..." he murmured to himself, his fingers unconsciously tapping on 'Fuxi.' According to his memory of the original work, this crucial showdown with Blazing Academy should have been Tang San's stage to shine.
Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng walked at the forefront of the team, followed closely by Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing. Then came Huang Yuan, Jing Ling, and Jiang Zhu. Their iconic green team uniforms were now densely covered with various sponsor logos—next to the familiar phrase "Wash for better health," several new company logos had been added.
Feng Xiao closed his eyes and focused, rapidly reviewing the original plot in his memory. Suddenly, his eyes slightly opened, a flash of realization in them, and then his expression became subtle.
"Without the Immortal Herb opportunity from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well..." He tapped his fingertips on the zither body. "Tang San not only can't refine Hidden Weapons like the Yama Invitation, but his fire attribute resistance is also greatly reduced. The Blazing Academy's natural counter-advantage, I'm afraid even Grandmaster will be helpless."
Thinking of this, Feng Xiao suddenly realized something, and a strange arc appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Shi Nian, that minor character... Wait..." His gaze unconsciously swept towards the player aisle. "If Shi Nian really succeeded, how could Xiao Wu still be in the mood to compete?"
This discovery sent a slight chill down his spine. It seemed that the plot of this World had already undergone unpredictable changes due to his presence.
"A combination of dragon and tiger? Interesting." Feng Xiao lightly plucked a string. "It seems this butterfly's wings are flapping harder than I imagined."
His gaze shifted back and forth between the arena and the VIP section. He suddenly realized an even more terrifying possibility—if Tang San had truly met with an accident, Clear Sky Douluo would have probably turned Heaven Dou City upside down by now. But the arena was calm as usual, which precisely indicated...
"It seems that the variable, Shi Nian, has already been dealt with." Feng Xiao murmured softly, his fingertips lightly plucking a string. An invisible sound wave quietly spread, attempting to probe for any clues in the dark corners of the arena.
Feng Xiao gently shook his head, his fingertips thoughtfully tapping on the strings. Through 'Fuxi's' perception, he could clearly discern the fatal flaw in Shrek's current lineup—lacking Tang San, the core controller, relying solely on Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng's strong attack combination, the tactical choices became extremely extreme.
"Either crush Blazing Academy with a thunderous momentum..." His gaze swept over the Hell White Tiger and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, poised for action in the arena. "Or..." His gaze shifted to Huo Wu, who was standing by in full readiness on the opposite side. Feng Xiao frowned slightly. "They will be slowly strangled by Blazing Academy's control chain."
"That's not right, shouldn't they forfeit in this situation?"
This all-or-nothing lineup arrangement was clearly not Grandmaster's style. Feng Xiao's fingers suddenly paused, and a flash of understanding crossed his eyes: "Yu Tianheng, this trump card, shouldn't have been revealed so early, unless..."
Unless Tang San was truly too severely injured to fight. This thought made Feng Xiao unconsciously sit up straighter.
Feng Xiao's gaze unconsciously swept to the other side of the VIP section; Ning Fengzhi also seemed to have noticed the anomaly. Meanwhile, Grandmaster on the sidelines had a tightly furrowed brow. After the schedule was locked, the time for forfeiture had passed, and he could only make such an arrangement—using the powerful explosive force of the Hell White Tiger and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon to seize a sliver of hope.
Just then, a deafening roar suddenly erupted in the center of the arena. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's Spirit Fusion Skill and Yu Tianheng's lightning exploded simultaneously, but Huo Wu's bug-like Repulsion Fire Ring not only interrupted their Spirit Fusion Skill but also sent Yu Tianheng flying.
Grandmaster on the stands clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the effort. He stared at the arena, his eyes flashing with unwillingness: "The energy Overlay of two fire-attribute support Spirit Masters... such control intensity, even Tianheng..."
His gaze was fixed on the red-haired girl on the opposite side—Huo Wu of Blazing Academy. This girl's targeting of Dai Mubai was simply infuriating; every time the Hell White Tiger was about to form, she would precisely interrupt it.
"The Spirit Fusion Skill is completely locked down..." Grandmaster's tactical board groaned under the strain in his hand. Veins bulged on his forehead, and he cursed inwardly: "It's all that bastard Shi Nian! If it weren't for him..."
A sharp pain spread from his chest, and Grandmaster had to clench the front of his clothes, taking several deep breaths to barely compose himself. However, the worry in his weathered eyes grew even more intense.
"Even if Little San didn't meet with an accident..." He looked at the raging flames in the arena, thinking bitterly, "Facing this level of flame control, I'm afraid even he..."
This thought made his fingers tremble unconsciously. As a theoretical Grandmaster, he knew better than anyone—in the face of absolute elemental suppression, even the most exquisite control was like talking on paper. The fire power displayed by Blazing Academy at this moment had already exceeded the scope of an ordinary Spirit Ancestor.
In the arena, Dai Mubai's tall figure swayed slightly, sweat mixed with dust sliding down his resolute face. He looked around—Yu Tianheng was half-kneeling, his spirit power already exhausted; the other team members were also at their limit.
"We..." His voice was hoarse beyond recognition, his fists clenching with a grinding sound. Finally, a hint of determination flashed in his tiger eyes, and he almost bit out two words through gritted teeth: "We—surrender—"
These two words, heavy as a thousand pounds, struck the hearts of everyone in Shrek. Dai Mubai turned away after speaking, not wanting his teammates to see his reddened eyes. As captain, this was the first time he had uttered these two words on the field, and each syllable felt like a knife cutting into him.
Feng Xiao watched the Shrek team's disheartened retreat, and couldn't help but smile: "It's just losing a match, why be so tragic?" He gently stroked the zither strings, shaking his head with a laugh. These young people took winning and losing too seriously, losing the composure a Spirit Master should have.
His fingertips lightly brushed 'Fuxi,' and Feng Xiao quickly composed himself, continuing to practice Heart Separation Control. A miraculous balance gradually formed in his sea of consciousness.
Ning Fengzhi in the VIP section seemed to sense something and looked back. He saw the white-robed young man with downcast eyes, playing the zither, as if the surrounding clamor had nothing to do with him. This detached demeanor made a hint of surprise flash in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School Sect Master's eyes.
Huo Wu in the arena keenly noticed the anomaly on Shrek's side. She slightly furrowed her delicate brows, and a hint of confusion flashed in her ruby-like eyes. As the genius girl of Blazing Academy, she had thoroughly studied Tang San's tactics and fighting style, and she knew every Shrek match like the back of her hand.
Huo Wu crossed her arms, her ruby-like eyes slightly narrowed, her gaze sweeping past the arena to land on Dai Mubai: "Why didn't Tang San play?" She deliberately raised her voice, her tone carrying a hint of provocation.
A cold glint flashed in Dai Mubai's golden pupils. He straightened his slightly disheveled clothes, his voice calm and restrained: "Sorry, that's none of your business." He paused for a moment, straightened his tall figure, and said word by word: "Next time, we won't lose again."
Huo Wu scoffed at his words, her fiery red hair gently swaying in the breeze. A meaningful smile curled at the corner of her lips: "I hope so." As she turned to leave, she tilted her head slightly, her voice clearly carrying: "Tell Tang San, I look forward to him playing—don't make me wait too long."
Dai Mubai watched Huo Wu's retreating figure, his fists unconsciously clenching.