The aftershocks of that earth-shattering reversal at the center main Soul Arena of Suotuo Great Soul Arena had yet to fully subside. Inside the VIP lounge, the members of the Royal Fight Team were still immersed in the shock brought by the Shrek Seven Monsters' battle against the Berserker Team. Qin Ming's exclamation, "This team is not simple," voiced everyone's thoughts.
Marco's gaze swept over his teammates with their varied expressions, finally settling on the captain, Yu Tianheng. With a gentle yet serious smile, he asked, "Tianheng, after watching this match, what are your thoughts? Do you want to take the stage yourself and spar with this Shrek Seven Monsters team?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Tianheng was momentarily stunned before a fierce fighting spirit erupted in his eyes. The pride of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Soul Spirit made him eager to challenge any powerful opponent. The resilience and tacit understanding displayed by the Shrek Seven Monsters in adversity, especially Tang San's miraculous control abilities and that bizarre External Spirit Bone at the end, had ignited a blazing fire of battle within him.
"I do! Of course I do!" Yu Tianheng answered without hesitation, his fists unconsciously clenching. "Their coordination and control are truly impressive. I'd love to experience it firsthand!"
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Dugu Yan beside him furrowed her delicate brows and poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "Tianheng, of course we support you if you want to fight. But how can we compete against them? Team battles require seven members. On our side, you, Shímò, and Shímó are Soul Honours, while I, Osler, and Lingling are all Soul Ancestors. We simply can't form a team that complies with the Soul Honour level rules. We can't just suppress our cultivation to participate, can we? That would be too unfair."
The Shímò and Shímó brothers nodded in agreement, while Osler shrugged, expressing helplessness. Ye Lingling stood quietly to the side, her cool eyes also showing a trace of agreement. The rule restrictions were objectively present.
Marco chuckled, as if he had anticipated this problem all along. He waved his hand, his tone relaxed yet carrying an undeniable authority. "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Team registrations don't always need to be completely 'truthful.' You just need to answer me: do you want this match or not? As for how to arrange it, I'll handle that."
Seeing Marco so confident, Yu Tianheng and the others, though puzzled, had their fighting spirit ignited and nodded one after another. "We'll fight! Of course we'll fight!"
"Good, then rest here for now and wait for my message." After saying this, Marco nodded to Qin Ming and left the lounge alone.
Marco didn't linger in the main Soul Arena hall but headed straight for the medical area and Soul Master rest zone in the back section of the arena. He slightly extended his Mental Power and quickly locked onto a room filled with angry curses and an aura of frustration. A sign hung at the door reading "Berserker Team Temporary Rest Room."
He pushed the door open and entered. Inside, the seven burly men of the Berserker Team had just finished receiving treatment, bandages still wrapped around them. Each wore a gloomy expression, especially their captain, Crazy Rhino, who was furious. He punched the wall, leaving a shallow dent, and roared, "Dammit! To capsize in a ditch! Actually losing to a bunch of brats who haven't even grown all their hair! What a disgrace!"
Seeing an unfamiliar young man arrive uninvited, Crazy Rhino, who was already in a foul mood, immediately redirected his anger toward Marco: "Who are you? Get out! Outsiders aren't welcome here!"
Marco remained calm, unruffled by Crazy Rhino's hostile attitude, and merely cast him a casual glance. Yet, that simple look instantly made Crazy Rhino and the entire Berserker Team feel an overwhelming pressure descend upon them, as heavy as a mountain! It wasn't a Spirit Ability but pure pressure formed from powerful Soul Power and Mental Power! The air in the room seemed to freeze solid. The Berserker Team members found it hard to breathe, their muscles tensed up, and even their Soul Power circulation became sluggish. Their eyes toward Marco instantly filled with shock and terror!
Only then did they realize that this seemingly young man before them possessed strength far beyond their reach—at least a Soul King, or perhaps even... a Soul Emperor!
Crazy Rhino, who had been raging just moments before, broke out in a cold sweat on his forehead. He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound.
At that moment, the Berserker Team's deputy leader, the spider woman, who was relatively calmer, quickly stepped forward. Forcing a respectful smile, she bowed and said, "This... esteemed sir, please forgive us! Our captain just lost a match and is in a bad mood. He offended you unintentionally—we beg your understanding! May we ask... what guidance do you have for us?"
Marco withdrew his pressure, and the atmosphere in the room immediately eased. He looked at the deputy leader and got straight to the point: "Guidance is not the right word. I came to ask you one thing: Do you want revenge?"
"Revenge?" The Berserker Team members were taken aback, exchanging confused glances. Crazy Rhino also calmed down and looked at Marco with puzzlement.
"Yes, revenge," Marco said flatly. "The Shrek Seven Monsters, who defeated you, are riding high right now. Are you really willing to let it go at that?"
A flicker of unwillingness flashed in Crazy Rhino's eyes, but he then said dejectedly, "What can we do even if we're unwilling? We lost—that's it. The Soul Arena's rules..."
Marco cut him off: "Rules are dead. What if there was a chance for you to fight them again under the name 'Berserker Team'? Of course, not all the participants would be your original members."
"What do you mean?" the spider woman asked warily.
Marco explained, "I have a few friends who are very interested in the Shrek Seven Monsters and want to spar with them. But they don't have enough people to register for a team match under their own team name. So, I'd like to borrow your 'Berserker Team' name. A few people from my side will join your remaining members to form a new 'Berserker Team' and challenge the Shrek Seven Monsters again. What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, the Berserker Team understood. They were to serve as a "front," letting another team fight the Shrek Seven Monsters under their name. It... sounded somewhat humiliating, but it also seemed... like an opportunity? At the very least, they could watch the Shrek Seven Monsters get taught another lesson? Moreover, faced with Marco's unfathomable strength, they didn't seem to have much room to refuse.
The spider woman and Crazy Rhino exchanged a glance, then looked at the other team members. Finally, the deputy leader mustered her courage and asked, "Sir, how many people... will you be providing? And what is their strength? We can't afford to completely disgrace the Berserker Team's reputation, can we?"
Marco smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I'll provide three people from my side, all Soul Honour level. Their strength... won't be weaker than yours. Combined with your remaining four members, we'll make a full team of seven. As for victory or defeat, that will depend on our respective abilities. You only need to cooperate with registration and provide familiarity with the venue. Afterwards, you won't lack benefits."
With both threats (demonstration of power) and incentives (potential benefits) laid out, although the Berserker Team felt unwilling, they had no choice but to agree. After all, having another chance to fight the Shrek Seven Monsters, even in this form, could somewhat ease their anger and sense of humiliation.
After reaching the agreement, Marco brought the Berserker Team's captain and vice-captain back to the Royal Fight Team's VIP box.
When Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan and the others saw Marco enter with two bruised and dejected Berserker Team members, they all showed surprised expressions.
Marco briefly explained his plan and the agreement with the Berserker Team. Everyone then understood - Marco intended to have Yu Tianheng, Shímò, Shímó, these three Soul Honours, plus Qiu Yao replace four Berserker Team members and challenge the Shrek Seven Monsters under the "Berserker Team" name!
"Is this... feasible? And Qiu Yao is still only a Great Spirit Master," Osler expressed some hesitation.
"As for the Soul Arena, as long as the team name and general member information match, they usually don't investigate exactly which individuals take the field. After all, there are many participating teams every day," Qin Ming pondered, speaking from his rich experience. He knew that last-minute substitutions were common for some teams, as long as they didn't exceed level restrictions or the basic framework.
Yu Tianheng, Shímò, and Shímó, however, were rubbing their hands in anticipation, their fighting spirit soaring. Even Qiu Yao was eager to try. The opportunity to face the Shrek Seven Monsters head-on was exactly what they had been hoping for!
Marco said to Yu Tianheng and the other three: "I've created this opportunity for you, but time is tight. The Shrek Seven Monsters just went through a tough battle and need rest. We can schedule the challenge for tomorrow night. In this day or so, you need to urgently coordinate with the Berserker Team's remaining four members, at least familiarizing yourselves with each other's Spirit Abilities and basic cooperation patterns. Though the time is short, sharpening your spear just before battle still makes it brighter. This match focuses on experience and learning - victory or defeat is secondary."
He then looked at Qin Ming: "Teacher Qin, please guide their temporary coordination."
Qin Ming nodded in agreement: "No problem, I'll keep an eye on them."
Thus the matter was settled. In the following time, under Qin Ming's guidance and Marco's observation, Yu Tianheng, Shímò, Shímó, and Qiu Yao began intense joint training with the Berserker Team's three remaining members: Crazy Rhino, the Spider Woman, and the Wishful Plate Spirit Master. Though perfect coordination couldn't be achieved overnight, they at least clarified their respective positions and basic tactical intentions.
As for the Shrek Seven Monsters, when they received the message that the "Berserker Team" was challenging them again, though somewhat surprised, their confidence was high after just defeating a powerful enemy. Plus, needing more practical combat training, they readily accepted the challenge.
A special team battle, cleverly arranged by Marco under the name of "revenge" but actually representing the first direct confrontation between two future star teams, quietly commenced at the Soto Grand Soul Arena. Everyone anticipated what kind of sparks would fly from this borrowed-name battle.