...
"If that's all there is to it, then so be it.
At worst, we can all gang up on him and beat him up."
Yu Feng, standing to the side, picked up the conversation with an extremely resentful tone, and couldn't help but shudder:
"But what's most infuriating is that not only is this guy's fighting ability terrifyingly monstrous, but his dirty tricks in fighting are also more numerous than anyone else's!"
"You think he'll fight you head-on just because he's overwhelmingly strong?
Wrong! What he loves most is all sorts of shameless tactical deception, psychological warfare, and even all sorts of underhanded tricks that are impossible to defend against!"
"If you fight him, you will not only suffer extremely brutal physical crushing, but your intelligence and mentality will also be insulted and trampled on in every way!"
"So, if you don't want to be so discouraged by him that you become withdrawn, it's best not to treat him like a human being!"
...
It was evening.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the magnificent arena of Soto City.
After a day of intense, targeted training, Xuan Hao brought Zhu Zhuqing and the others, who had just finished washing up and changed into clean black leather jackets, to this place.
After catching up on sleep throughout the day, Dugu Yan and the others, who had finally regained their energy, were already waiting for them in the high-level rest hall of the Great Soul Arena.
After everyone went to the front desk to complete the registration procedures for tonight's Soul Fighting event, the group gathered on the large sofa in the lounge and chatted.
Xiao Wu hugged her signature carrot pillow, her big eyes darting back and forth between Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng not far away.
After hesitating for a moment, Xiao Wu finally couldn't contain her curiosity and leaned close to Dugu Yan, whispering:
"Sister Yan Yan, there's something I've never been able to figure out."
Xiao Wu pointed at Dugu Yan, then at Yu Tianheng in the distance: "Your soul power level has already broken through level 50, you must be an extremely powerful Soul King, right? But that Yu Tianheng, Zhu Qing said he's only a level 39 Soul Venerable."
"Normally, shouldn't the captain of a team be the strongest person in the team? Why is the captain of the Royal Fighting Team him, and not you?"
Hearing Xiao Wu's question, Zhu Zhuqing, who was sitting next to her, also pricked up her ears curiously.
In the general understanding of the Soul Master world, "might makes right" is an ironclad rule, and the position of captain is usually held by whoever has the biggest fist.
"This..."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and explained with a completely calm expression:
"The reason is actually quite simple.
In the past few years, I have spent most of my time with Xuanhao in solitary, closed-door training, and only occasionally return to the academy."
"Tianheng handles all the daily training, personnel selection, and various trivial matters of the Royal Fighting Team. He leads everyone through thick and thin, and knows each person's personality, martial soul characteristics, strengths and weaknesses like the back of his hand."
Dugu Yan shrugged and continued, "And me?
I'm just a hands-off manager, I haven't been in charge of anything.
I don't even have a clear understanding of everyone's abilities.
If you were to make me the captain, responsible for command and coordination, it would obviously be extremely unsuitable for me."
"With Tianheng as captain, all I need to do is have a good fight with him when I return to the team, so he clearly knows my current strength ceiling and poison control ability.
Then, in team battles, he can precisely place me in the most suitable position and formulate the most perfect tactics, which is enough."
After hearing Dugu Yan's extremely rational explanation, Xiao Wu couldn't help but open her mouth wide in surprise.
"Wow... the atmosphere in your Royal Fighting Team is so harmonious?"
Xiao Wu scratched her rabbit ears, looking puzzled.
"Aren't all Soul Masters extremely competitive?
Especially someone like the captain, who has both prestige and power, shouldn't everyone be fighting tooth and nail to prove who's the best?"
Upon hearing Xiao Wu's words, which carried a typical stereotype of the Soul Master world, Dugu Yan's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural.
She rolled her eyes at Xuan Hao, who was leisurely sipping tea not far away, then sighed and said in a low voice:
"If this were in the past, or in other Soul Master academies, then it would indeed be just as you said, with everyone fighting tooth and nail for the title of captain."
"However... ever since that bastard Xuan Hao came to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and established the Heaven Dou Self-Improvement Association... the atmosphere and rules of the entire academy have completely changed."
"Or rather, Xuan Hao forcibly set the new rules."
Dugu Yan looked at Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing and said seriously, "In the rules set by Xuan Hao, 'might makes right' and 'face' are all secondary! 'Suitability' is the most important and only standard!"
"Xuanhao always emphasizes one sentence—to let the right people do the right things.
It's not about whoever has the strongest fist or whoever is ambitious and wants to be an official, that's who gets that position."
"Think about it, if you let someone who is extremely powerful but has a withdrawn personality and doesn't know anything about planning and management be the team captain and give random orders... that's not leading the team, that's just sending everyone to their deaths!"
"Therefore, everyone has their own expertise.
We should entrust the extremely mentally taxing task of overall management to someone like Tianheng, who is calm and has a strong sense of the big picture.
As for someone like me who only focuses on fighting, I can concentrate all my energy on improving my strength.
Making the best use of resources and fulfilling everyone's responsibilities is the atmosphere we have now."
Xiao Wu nodded as if she understood, "It does sound... quite reasonable."
"But, Soul Masters are inherently competitive!
If a person in charge can't completely overwhelm his subordinates with his strength, how can he command respect?
Will those troublemakers who are stronger than him obediently follow his orders?"
Upon hearing this extremely pointed question, Dugu Yan's expression instantly became very strange, even revealing a hint of sympathy.
She reached out her finger and gently poked Xiao Wu's forehead:
"Little girl, you seem to have misunderstood a very crucial premise."
"In this system, the person responsible for upholding Tianheng's authority as captain... is not Tianheng himself at all! It's Xuanhao!"
"In other words, at our Heaven Dou Royal Academy, as long as you act in accordance with the 'appropriate' rules set by Xuan Hao, you will be absolutely protected by him, the strongest leader!"
"If someone in the team, relying on their strength, dares to disobey Captain Tianheng's reasonable commands and arrangements..."
"Then it's not Tianheng who's dissatisfied. He's openly slapping Xuanhao in the face, and he's extremely provoking the rules set by Xuanhao!"
"When you disobey Xuanhao's rules, there are only two possible outcomes for you."
"Either you're incredibly powerful and can beat Xuan Hao in public, then you'll be the new boss, and you can set the rules!"
"Either you are extremely intelligent and can articulate an impeccable argument, convincing him face-to-face that your approach is 'more appropriate' than his!"
"Otherwise..."
Dugu Yan hesitated, then said, "You know what I mean."
Upon hearing this, all the women in the lounge couldn't help but shiver.
Although Dugu Yan didn't finish her sentence, everyone already fully understood what she meant.
Xuan Hao has never been a kind-hearted person!
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