Chapter 198: Sigh, Once Hearts Scatter, the Team Is Hard to Lead
Early the next morning, the sky was bright.
On the training grounds of Shrek Academy, everyone had already gathered.
But the atmosphere was even more oppressive and lifeless than the previous day.
Every face was deathly pale, with dark circles under their eyes as heavy as if painted with ink.
Their gazes were unfocused, their spirits listless.
Each person looked as if they had not slept all night, an unapproachable gloom radiating from them.
Tang San stood in a corner of the training ground, head lowered, a dense, inescapable gloom surrounding him.
The illusion from last night had been far too real.
Tang Hao's utterly disappointed gaze kept replaying in his mind, impossible to shake off.
He raised his eyes and looked toward Yu Xiaogang, not far away.
His gaze carried thick, unresolvable doubt, along with a trace of barely concealed dissatisfaction.
In the dream, it was precisely because he followed Yu Xiaogang's teachings, because he believed in that so-called perfect theory, that his father had been so disappointed in him.
Yu Xiaogang happened to look up, and his gaze collided with Tang San's.
That cold gaze, filled with doubt and gloom, was exactly the same as the one in last night's illusion when Tang San stabbed through his heart.
"!!!"
Yu Xiaogang trembled all over.
It was as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, sending chills through his soul.
He instinctively took half a step back and quickly looked away, not daring to meet Tang San's eyes again.
Cold sweat instantly seeped from his back, and his heart began pounding wildly, almost leaping out of his throat.
'Xiao San… why is he looking at me like that?'
Could it be that he…
At this moment, Dai Mubai and Oscar also walked over side by side.
Both of their expressions were extremely grim.
When they looked at Tang San, there was undisguised hostility and a faint killing intent.
Right now, they hated Tang San to the core, wishing they could fight him to the death on the spot.
Ma Hongjun shrank at the other side of the training ground, his eyes hollow, his mind drifting far away.
He muttered under his breath, "Burned to death… really burned to death…"
The scene from the dream, where he was reduced to ashes by the out-of-control Evil Fire, was still vivid in his mind.
He couldn't help but wonder, "The stronger I become, the stronger the evil fire becomes?"
Even his fingertips trembled uncontrollably.
If that were true, wouldn't that mean the path of a soul master was also his path to death?
The current outbreaks of evil fire were already painful enough.
If it grew even stronger…
Just thinking about it sent a chill through his entire body.
He lowered his head and looked at his palms, a sudden, firm resolve forming not to become stronger.
After all, he was just an ordinary person.
If he could smoothly graduate from Shrek Academy and later stay on as a small teacher, taking care of the dean in his old age, that would be enough.
At least he wouldn't end up with nothing left of his body.
Flender stood at the front of the training ground, his gaze sweeping over the group of dejected students below, feeling as if a massive weight pressed upon his heart.
He thought everyone was simply affected by yesterday's defeat to the Royal Fighting Team and Lin Qingmo's departure.
The atmosphere on the field was so oppressive that it felt as if it could drip water.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear and panic brought by last night's illusion.
He waved his hand at everyone. "Train on your own today and adjust your condition."
No matter what, he now felt uneasy facing Tang San.
Yu Xiaogang felt he needed time to calm himself.
"Flender, come with me. I have something to discuss with you."
After speaking, he turned and walked toward the office, his steps somewhat hurried, as if fleeing from something.
Flender was momentarily stunned, then quickly followed.
…
The office door shut heavily, cutting off the noise outside.
Flender looked at Yu Xiaogang standing by the window, his face full of exhaustion and anxiety.
"Xiaogang, what can we do? Look at the kids now. What state are they in?"
"If this continues, forget the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament. We might not even last until it begins."
He was truly overwhelmed.
In their current state, the Shrek Seven Devils couldn't even fight Lin Qingmo, let alone ordinary teams.
Even qualifying for the tournament had become nothing but an illusion.
Yu Xiaogang turned around, a ruthless resolve flashing in his eyes, along with a near-mad certainty.
"Flender, our only option now is to find Qin Ming and Yu Tianheng."
Flender froze on the spot, disbelief written all over his face.
"Find them?"
"Qin Ming is now a core teacher at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and Yu Tianheng is from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the captain of the Royal Fighting Team!"
"Yesterday, Lin Qingmo just defeated their entire team. Yu Tianheng is still lying unconscious in bed. What are we going to them for?"
He felt Yu Xiaogang had been shaken senseless.
The Royal Fighting Team and they were practically at odds now; how could they possibly help?
Moreover, participation slots were decided by Heaven Dou Royal Academy. What authority did the Royal Fighting Team have?
"So what if they were defeated?"
Yu Xiaogang sneered, a desperate madness in his tone.
"Yu Tianheng is my nephew, and Qin Ming is a direct disciple trained by your Shrek Academy."
"We might be able to reorganize the team and secure a spot in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament."
Yu Xiaogang's eyes shone with almost obsessive determination, as if he had grasped the last straw for survival.
"You've seen the strength of the Royal Fighting Team. Every one of them is a gifted soul master. Combined with our remaining members, we can definitely form a top-tier team on the continent!"
He had no way out.
Only by rebuilding the team and winning the championship could he turn things around.
Flender looked at the madness in Yu Xiaogang's eyes, opened his mouth as if to say something—
Such as the fact that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had long severed ties with him, and Yu Tianheng might not acknowledge him as an uncle.
Or that Qin Ming now held a high position at Heaven Dou Royal Academy and might not abandon his promising future to gamble on them.
But in the end, he remained silent.
The situation had truly reached a dead end. There was no other choice.
"Sigh…"
He let out a heavy sigh and nodded at Yu Xiaogang, his tone carrying a hint of helpless determination.
"Alright, we'll do as you say. I'll go with you to Heaven Dou City to find Qin Ming and Yu Tianheng."
…
At the same time.
Inside an inn in Suo Tuo City.
Shi Nian stood hunched before Lin Qingmo.
His face was greenish, his lips purple, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
The poison Dugu Bo had planted within him was slowly eroding his meridians.
Every circulation of soul power felt like countless venomous snakes gnawing at his internal organs.
The pain was worse than death.
He forced himself to remain standing, bowed to Lin Qingmo, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Lord Lin, everything you instructed has been completed."
"The Shrek group, including Yu Xiaogang, has all fallen into the illusion I set up. None of them slept all night, their minds shattered."
There was deep anticipation in his eyes, along with a trace of barely concealed fear.
His only thought now was to obtain the antidote from Lin Qingmo and escape this torment worse than death.
At the same time, he secretly swore that once he got the antidote, he would never provoke this fiend again.
Who could have imagined that such a young man could command the Poison Douluo Dugu Bo?
This time, he had truly suffered a disastrous loss.
End of Chapter
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