Nearly ten days had passed since their arrival in Suotuo City. This important city of the Barak Kingdom gradually revealed its unique prosperity and vitality to the Royal Fight Team members. Their lives revolved around the Suotuo Great Soul Arena, forming a regular rhythm.
Thanks to their status as members of the Heavenly Dou Royal Academy and Qin Ming's strength as a Soul Emperor, they had secured a long-term reservation for an excellently positioned VIP booth. Their fixed soul fighting hours were from afternoon until evening each day. Due to level differences - Osler, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling were already Soul Ancestors while Yu Tianheng, Shimo, and Shimó remained Soul Honours - the complete Royal Fight Team couldn't participate in team matches, making individual battles and two-on-two fights their main activities.
Over several days, each team member achieved notable results. Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon displayed overwhelming Haki, Dugu Yan's Muddy Earth Poison Dragon demonstrated sharp battlefield control, Shimo and Shimó's Black Tortoise Turtle defense stood firm as mountains, and Osler's Nether Panther assaults were fierce. Ye Lingling provided strong sustainability in two-on-two cooperation. Marco and Qin Ming mostly observed from their booth, with Marco offering gentle yet precise commentary full of constructive insights that greatly benefited the team members. Osler even privately remarked to Yu Tianheng: "The boss seems easygoing, but his eyes are too sharp - every pointer hits the mark."
Beyond soul fighting, life in Suotuo City brimmed with vitality. Team members often went shopping together and sampled local delicacies. Dinners were mostly team gatherings where they shared insights in a harmonious atmosphere.
Amid this seemingly routine daily life, Marco wasn't actively searching, but the name "Shrek Seven Monsters" inadvertently reached his ears. Sometimes arena staff mentioned "a rather strange young team with good coordination" during casual chats, other times he overheard neighboring Soul Masters in restaurants discussing "those young boys and girls who've won quite a lot despite not being high-level." One day, he even casually asked a familiar attendant: "I heard there's a young team called Shrek that's been making waves recently?" The attendant enthusiastically provided scattered information: very young members, excellent coordination, with a particularly skilled control-system Soul Master in blue.
Thus, during breaks from observing his own team's soul fights, Marco began casually watching matches featuring the Shrek Seven Monsters. He witnessed the agility of the lively rabbit-eared girl with scorpion braids (Xiao Wu), the calm precision of the blue-clothed youth (Tang San) in control-system soul fights, and noticed their team's unique tacit understanding. He understood - these were the people from the "story." He recognized the team's potential but didn't show excessive interest.
However, Marco's distinctive presence and occasional glances caught Tang San's attention.
One afternoon, after the Shrek Seven Monsters narrowly won a difficult team match, while summarizing at the rest area, Tang San's sensitive Purple Demon Eyes detected a calm yet intensely present gaze coming from the direction of the upper booths.
Looking up, Tang San happened to meet Marco's profound Double Pupils. The man wore simple dark blue martial attire, appearing only a few years older than himself, yet exuding an indescribable steadiness as if everything was under his control. Seated beside him was a composed man (Qin Ming), along with several other youths of similar age and extraordinary bearing (Yu Tianheng and others), all seemingly centered around him.
Their gazes briefly intersected in the air. Marco didn't avert his eyes but instead offered Tang San a gentle, harmless faint smile before naturally shifting his attention back to conversing with his companions.
That single glance, however, triggered a faint warning in Tang San's heart. "Such strong Mental Power perception... Who is that person? His gaze... doesn't seem like an ordinary spectator's." Tang San silently pondered, committing Marco's appearance to memory. "Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, did you notice that man in black with the distinctive eyes in the upper booth?" he whispered to his companions.
Xiao Wu glanced in that direction and blinked, "I see him. Quite handsome, but he doesn't seem to be a regular here. Why, Tang San, do you know him?"
Dai Mubai also looked over and shook his head, "Haven't seen him before, but judging by the people around him, they carry an extraordinary presence. Their origins are probably not simple."
The Shrek Seven Monsters quietly noted this observer but didn't voice it aloud, merely maintaining heightened vigilance.
Several days later, a highly anticipated team battle announcement caught Marco's attention: the Shrek Seven Monsters were scheduled to face the notoriously fierce Berserker Team. The Berserker Team averaged above level 35, with their captain being a Soul Ancestor, known for their aggressive style. Marco felt this would be an excellent opportunity to test the resilience and strength of the Shrek Seven Monsters, potentially offering some insights for his own team members.
In the evening, after completing their daily soul duels, the Royal Fight Team members gradually returned to their booth. Marco smiled at Qin Ming and the others, saying, "There's an interesting team match today—the Berserker Team versus that young Shrek Seven Monsters. Let's all watch; we might gain something from it."
Yu Tianheng and the others were somewhat puzzled but sat down to watch. When they saw the obvious disparity in age and level between the Shrek Seven Monsters and their opponents, Dugu Yan couldn't help frowning, "With such a level gap against the Berserker Team, is there any suspense?"
Marco didn't refute her, merely replying gently, "Level is important, but combat depends on overall capability. Especially how they handle adversity—that often reveals a team's true foundation. Let's see how they respond."
As the match began, the Berserker Team launched a fierce assault, pushing the Shrek Seven Monsters into a difficult battle. Tang San, as the team's strategist, focused intensely, circulating his Profound Heaven Skill while using his Purple Demon Eyes to continuously assess the situation and seek opportunities for victory. He calmly calculated every detail: "The Berserker Team's offense is fierce, but their coordination has patterns... Mubai, the left flank is under the most pressure, Xiao Wu provide support... Fatty, prepare for long-range harassment... Zhuqing, look for openings to strike... Rongrong, keep the buffs coming... Oscar, have the Recovery Sausages ready..." Simultaneously, he keenly sensed that gaze from the high booth seemed to be resting on him again, but he had no attention to spare for it now.
When the Berserker Team captain went berserk and the situation became critical, Tang San had no choice but to utilize the Eight Spider Lances. The moment the External Spirit Bone appeared, it not only shocked the entire arena but also elicited low exclamations from the Royal Fight Team's private booth.
"A Soul Bone?!" Yu Tianheng's pupils contracted sharply.
"And an External Spirit Bone at that! It can actually absorb Soul Power!" Dugu Yan's expression shifted slightly.
Osler and the others also shed their casual attitudes.
In the end, the Shrek Seven Monsters, relying on their tenacious will and Tang San's remarkable reversal, achieved a comeback victory! The Soul Arena erupted. The members of the Shrek Seven Monsters were utterly exhausted, but their eyes shone with the joy of victory and mutual trust. Supported by his teammates, Tang San subtly regulated his breathing, his gaze once again inadvertently sweeping over the high private booth. His curiosity about the identity of that black-clad youth grew even stronger.
Inside the Royal Fight Team's private booth, silence prevailed. The shock was evident on everyone's faces. They had personally witnessed a classic battle where the weaker triumphed over the stronger.
Qin Ming let out a long sigh and looked at Marco. "Marco, your insight is indeed unique. This team's resilience, coordination, and especially that Control System Soul Master's abilities... far surpass their peers."
Marco nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over his team members who were still digesting the match. He asked gently, "Now, what do you think of this Shrek team? What did you learn from this match?" His intention was to guide his team to contemplate the deeper meanings of fighting through adversity and teamwork.
Down on the arena floor, the Shrek Seven Monsters were also conversing in low tones.
Dai Mubai wiped his sweat. "We won, but it was really close. Still, it was a satisfying fight!"
Xiao Wu grinned. "With Little San here, what's there to fear!"
Zhu Zhuqing's cool eyes scanned the stands as she said quietly, "Those people in the private booth earlier seemed to be observing us the entire time."
Ning Rongrong nodded but didn't pay it much mind.
Oscar leaned in. "Who cares! We won anyway! We should make the Dean treat us tonight!"
Tang San didn't join the discussion. Staring in the direction of the private booth, he thought to himself, "That person... who is he really? Is his observation friendly or..." A subtle premonition made him feel that they might cross paths with that black-clad youth again.
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