"Senior Tai Tan, what exactly happened to the Clear Sky Clan? Why did my teacher say they've secluded themselves from the world? And why did my father leave the clan and raise me in that village?"
These were the answers Tang San wanted more than anything.
To be honest, Tai Tan himself didn't know many of the details.
He only knew that Tang San's mother had died during that conflict, and that Tang Hao had killed the then Pope, Qian Xunji, because of it.
For Tang San's sake, those truths could not be revealed.
"Young Master, please don't make things difficult for this old servant. I truly don't know."
After a brief pause, he continued.
"Now that I've found both you and the Master, it shouldn't be long before he appears himself."
"Young Master, the upcoming Spirit Master Tournament is of the utmost importance. You should devote yourself to your training."
"I've heard about yesterday's defeat. A single loss doesn't determine anything."
"The Master once said that even if you fail countless times, as long as you win the battle that truly matters, people will remember your life as a success."
After hearing those words, Tang San suddenly felt that he had finally let go of his frustration.
Compared to yesterday's defeat, learning the truth about Tang Hao was far more important.
Seeing that Tang San's spirits had recovered, Tai Tan took the opportunity to bring up another matter.
"Young Master, although my disappointing grandson still has much to learn, he does have some ability. How about letting him join the Shrek Team and serve by your side?"
Tailong was now Level 37 and had a good chance of reaching Level 38 or even Level 39 before the tournament.
With that level of strength, he already ranked ahead of Ma Hongjun on the Shrek Team.
If the team followed a survival of the fittest system, Tailong could easily replace Ma Hongjun.
Since Ma Hongjun was the Headmaster's disciple, Tang San had no intention of removing him from the main lineup.
However, having Tailong join as a substitute who could replace Ma Hongjun when necessary seemed like a good arrangement.
Now that they were all on the same side, Tang San had no reason to hold a grudge over what had happened before.
"Alright. Have Tailong report to me tomorrow. I'll speak with the teacher tonight."
Tai Tan laughed heartily.
"With those words from you, Young Master, this old servant can finally rest easy. As for that brat, don't be polite with him. If he slacks off during training, scold him as much as you like."
Tang San was the heart and soul of the Shrek Seven Devils.
His recovery in spirit was vital to the team's morale.
Later that evening, Tang San gathered the Shrek Seven Devils together.
Although Grandmaster had tried to comfort everyone the previous day, the team's mood remained gloomy.
Dai Mubai was even still angry with Zhu Zhuqing.
Before speaking, Tang San spent several minutes quietly observing everyone's expressions and reactions.
Once he felt the time was right, he finally spoke.
"Everyone, please calm down."
"As for yesterday's defeat, the biggest responsibility lies with me. I failed to respond to the Seven Treasure Team's tactical changes in time. I also trusted Wu Qi too much in the past, which allowed our trump cards to be exposed."
"I want to apologize to everyone for my mistakes. As the team's commander, I bear the greatest responsibility for our loss."
Dai Mubai let out a cold laugh.
"Little San, this isn't your fault. If someone hadn't deliberately dragged the team down, we never would've been pushed into such a desperate situation."
Seeing Xiao Wu about to defend Zhu Zhuqing, Tang San quickly stopped her.
"Mubai, it was my responsibility that everyone's positions on the battlefield weren't coordinated properly. I owe you an apology."
Dai Mubai immediately stood up.
"Little San, I wasn't blaming you. This matter..."
Tang San raised a hand to interrupt him.
"A loss is a loss. Because of my mistakes, none of you were able to fight to your full potential. That's my responsibility."
After several minutes of openly criticizing himself, the other six members of the Shrek Seven Devils gradually came to their senses.
One by one, they began reflecting on their own mistakes instead of blaming others.
Outside the room, Grandmaster silently watched everything unfold, paying close attention to the situation.
Seeing that the moment was right, he pushed the door open and walked in.
"I'm pleased that all of you have recognized your own mistakes. From now on, remember the errors you made today and correct them. If you do that, Shrek Academy will remain undefeated."
"And yesterday's match wasn't without its gains. At the very least, we've figured out the Seven Treasure Team's group fighting style."
"In my opinion, their tactics were extremely crude, almost completely lacking any real structure. When it comes to strategy, I believe their team leader is nowhere near our level."
Although he was clearly praising himself, the Shrek Seven Devils all agreed.
From their perspective, it was true. The Seven Treasure Team had essentially turned a team battle into several separate one-on-one fights. Their tactical planning didn't appear particularly sophisticated.
Yu Tianheng, who had once studied at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, recalled some rumors he had heard and said,
"I think I understand why."
Wu Qi had almost complete authority over the team. Although Sun Buyu was officially the team leader, he mainly handled logistics and rarely interfered with training or tactical planning.
Hearing this, Grandmaster chuckled.
"How old is he? How much strategic wisdom could he possibly possess? They only succeeded because their team members are individually strong. They stumbled into victory by chance."
"When they face truly refined tactics, their strategy will fall apart."
"Alright, everyone, put your minds at ease. I've already come up with a way to deal with them. Starting tomorrow, I'll personally lead all of you through specialized training."
"And you must adjust your mentality. Don't surrender the initiative just because of one small defeat. Even in the Spirit Master Tournament, our ultimate goal is to finish in the top two."
"Our goal in the preliminary rounds is simply to qualify. Even if we suffer a few losses, don't let them bother you. Always remember that strategically, we still hold the advantage."
"These temporary setbacks are merely preparation for victory in the finals."
After hearing Grandmaster's motivational speech, the Shrek Seven Devils were filled with renewed confidence, as though the championship title was already within their grasp.
After everyone else had left, Tang San remained behind to speak with Grandmaster alone.
Naturally, he wanted to recommend that Tailong join the team as a substitute.
"Little San, didn't you have a conflict with Tailong? You resolved it that quickly?" Grandmaster asked with a puzzled expression.
He knew that the Strength Clan was affiliated with the Clear Sky Clan.
However, after the events of those years, the Clear Sky Clan had effectively abandoned the Four Single Attribute Clans.
Earlier, Grandmaster had even worried that Tai Tan might harm Tang San, so he, Flender, and Liu Erlong had waited outside, ready to intervene if necessary.
Could such deep resentment really disappear so easily?
Of course, he had no way of knowing that Tai Tan was unwaveringly loyal to the Tang family. Even after being abandoned, he held no resentment whatsoever.
After listening to Tang San's explanation, Grandmaster finally relaxed.
"Tailong is quite capable. I had already considered recruiting him into the team, but I couldn't disregard Flender's feelings."
"You didn't promise him a starting position, did you?"
Although Grandmaster often ignored Flender's opinions, he still needed to maintain stability within the academy.
If Ma Hongjun wasn't removed from the starting lineup, the only alternative would be replacing Oscar.
But without a support Spirit Master, the team would inevitably be at a disadvantage in prolonged battles.
Their opponents would quickly exploit that weakness. If they started every match on the back foot, how could they hope to compete for the championship?
After Tang San shook his head, Grandmaster finally let out a sigh of relief.
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