Discussions surged like a tide across the stands, everyone speculating on the outcome of the match. Shrek Academy, due to its previous performances and Master's reputation, had always garnered significant attention. Despite recent negative rumors and the absence of core members, they still boasted a large number of supporters.
Canghui Academy, with its unique gem Martial Soul and tacit teamwork, was considered a dark horse in the preliminaries and was not to be underestimated.
At this moment, in a specific spectator area.
The teams from Tianxing Academy and Tianshui Academy were seated together, the atmosphere harmonious.
After their previous Fighting Soul Arena match and subsequent interactions, especially after Shui Yueer finally confirmed that Tang Chuan was the mysterious blue-haired youth who had saved her years ago at the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest when she was attacked by a Soul Beast, the two academies had become good friends!
Shui Yueer even sat beside Tang Chuan, her pretty face adorned with a bright smile, whispering something to him. Occasionally, she would cover her mouth and chuckle, her eyes filled with a subtle hint of closeness.
This scene drew many glances from nearby spectators, who secretly wondered why these two powerful academies had suddenly become so friendly.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In Shrek Academy's exclusive spectator area, the atmosphere was completely different.
Flender pushed up his iconic crystal glasses, his sharp gaze behind the lenses fixed on the strange Formation displayed by Canghui Academy's seven members on the Douhun Stage. His face was somewhat grim as he murmured, "It seems our Little freaks will have a tough fight today."
"Boss, are you too nervous? According to our information, among these seven from Canghui Academy, only one has just broken through to Spirit Ancestor rank, while the other six are merely Spirit Elders in their thirties. Tang San and the others are all Spirit Ancestors; with their overwhelming strength, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"
Standing beside him, the burly, bear-like Zhao Wuji interjected gruffly.
Zhao Wuji had confidence in his students' abilities.
Especially Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing, the main players. In his opinion, dealing with a team with only one Spirit Ancestor should be a piece of cake.
Flender shook his head, raising a hand to point at Canghui Academy's peculiar stance, and said in a deep voice, "Wuji, look at their Formation, and the confident look in their eyes. Canghui Academy is known for its gem Martial Soul; while this Martial Soul might not be top-tier individually, it excels in coordination, especially with certain special Fusion skills or Formations. I'm worried... they might have prepared some hidden trump card we don't know about, specifically to deal with our Shrek."
The moment his words fell, a low voice came from behind him:
"Canghui Academy is not to be underestimated. In their previous matches, they've only lost to Tianxing Academy, Shenfeng Academy, and Tianshui Academy."
Hearing this familiar voice, Flender's body trembled violently, and he turned around excitedly.
He saw a middle-aged man with a haggard face, sunken eyes, but a gaze deeper than ever before, even faintly tinged with a gloomy aura, slowly walking towards them.
It was none other than Master Yu Xiaogang, who had been missing for several days!
"Xiaogang?!" Seeing the arrival, Flender was both surprised and delighted. He quickly went to meet him, grabbing Master's shoulders and examining him closely, his voice filled with concern, "You... you're back? I heard Little San and Clear Sky Douluo say you... you..."
Master raised his hand and waved it weakly, interrupting Flender, his voice carrying a deliberately suppressed calmness, "Other matters are a long story. I'll explain in detail when we return to the academy. For now, let's watch the match."
Flender saw that he was unwilling to discuss further. Although he was full of doubts, he still nodded, forcefully suppressing the urge to continue questioning.
However, the moment he approached Master, his nose instinctively twitched slightly.
A very subtle yet undeniable scent of blood, mixed with a faint, elusive chill, drifted into his nostrils.
Immediately, Flender's expression changed slightly. As a flying Beast Spirit Soul Master, his sense of smell was naturally much more acute than ordinary people. He frowned slightly, his sharp gaze fixed on Master, and he lowered his voice, "Xiaogang, why do you smell so strongly of blood?"
He paused, his nostrils flaring again, and his tone became even more serious.
"This smell... it seems... it's human blood?!"
At these words.
Zhao Wuji, standing nearby, also instantly widened his eyes, looking at Master in disbelief.
Master's face turned extremely ugly the moment Flender asked this question, even flashing a subtle hint of panic, his voice hurried, "You... you smelled wrong! What blood? It's... it's just Soul Beast blood I accidentally got on me on the way back! Let's watch the match, let's watch the match first!"
At the same time, not far away.
Tang Chuan, sitting with the Tianshui Academy group, also keenly detected that extremely faint scent of blood in the air, which was out of place with the surrounding fervent atmosphere, thanks to his powerful mental force.
Immediately after, his brow furrowed imperceptibly.
This scent did not belong to a Soul Beast; it carried a chilling sense of lifelessness, more like... human blood, and human blood tainted with some ominous aura.
With a thought, his vast Blue Silver Domain, like mercury spilling across the ground, silently swept towards the direction from which the scent of blood emanated.
The immense mental force, like a precise detector, quickly pinpointed the source of the blood scent: Shrek Academy's spectator area, on the newly appeared middle-aged man with a somewhat haggard face!
Yu Xiaogang?!
"What? He's still alive?!"
Immediately, a storm of shock raged in Tang Chuan's heart.
According to his plan and judgment, Master, whose spine he had destroyed with Blue Silver Emperor thorns and whose Golden Sacred Dragon Origin he had drained, should have had no chance of survival!
Even if Tang Hao had taken him away, at most, he would have only preserved a breath of life.
It was absolutely impossible for him to appear here, moving freely, as he was now!
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