In the subsequent matches, they faced opponents from ordinary academies, and with just Bei Bei and the other reserve team members, they easily secured victories, once again entering the third stage of the competition with a perfect winning record.
Due to tie-breaker matches for the three groups of nine teams, Shrek Academy, as the first team to enter the third stage, had three days of rest. Three days later, it would be the first round of the third stage: the top sixteen competing for the top eight!
That evening, Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and Ma Xiaotao, three of the main team members, were called out by Wang Yan. He took them to a hotel not far from the Star Emperor Hotel. Just as they were wondering why, the appearance of one person made all three of them suddenly understand, filled with pleasant surprise.
"Senior Gongyang!" Zhu Ziyang exclaimed in surprise.
"Mm-hmm!" Gongyang Mo was also very happy to see the three of them, but remembering his mission, he said with a smile, "Let's go, Old Lin is waiting for you."
Gongyang Mo led the three up to the top floor of the hotel. Along the way, Zhu Ziyang asked, "Senior Gongyang, when did you arrive? Why didn't you come directly to us?"
"That's right, how are Ling Luochen and Chen Zifeng?" Ma Xiaotao also had a look of joy on her face as she asked.
"Ling Luochen is here, Chen Zifeng isn't," Gongyang Mo said with a smile. "Actually, we left the Academy more than ten days ago, but we stopped to deal with Dai Yueheng's matter along the way, so we only arrived in Star Luo City yesterday."
"Dai Yueheng?!" The three of them, Zhu Ziyang, showed expressions of confusion and bewilderment, looking at Gongyang Mo.
Gongyang Mo was very surprised, not expecting such expressions from the three of them. He blurted out, "Don't you know?"
"Know what?" Ma Xiaotao frowned slightly; this feeling of being kept in the dark was not pleasant.
"I was afraid this matter would affect their mood, so I didn't tell them. It's my fault!" Wang Yan couldn't help but smile bitterly.
"What exactly happened to Senior Dai?" Jiang Nannan asked curiously.
"Alas!" Wang Yan sighed and said, "After he left the team and returned to the barracks, he had a fierce argument with Xu Yi, and in a fit of rage, he beat him to death!"
"What?!" The three of them, Zhu Ziyang, couldn't help but be stunned, not expecting Dai Yueheng to be so formidable as to directly kill a Marquis.
"What was the outcome?" Ma Xiaotao asked.
"The outcome was, Dai Hao, upholding justice over family ties, directly arrested and detained Dai Yueheng, and at the same time, submitted a memorial to the throne, preparing to let the Star Luo Emperor punish Dai Yueheng!" Gongyang Mo did not answer. Instead, an Old Woman walked out and spoke to everyone.
"Old Song (Teacher)!" The Old Woman's appearance greatly surprised Zhu Ziyang, Jiang Nannan, and Ma Xiaotao, who exclaimed in unison.
That's right, the person who came was none other than the Divine Eagle Douluo, Old Song, Jiang Nannan's teacher.
"Hehe, it's not just this Old One who came, oh!" Old Song said with a loving smile, stroking Jiang Nannan's beautiful hair as she rushed up to hug her arm. "Let's go into the room first."
After everyone entered the room, they discovered that not only was Old Lin there, but also two other people they hadn't expected.
"Senior Sister, Junior Sister, why are you two here too?" Zhu Ziyang asked in surprise.
"Hehe, of course, we're here to back you up!" Cai Meier said with a smile.
"Teacher asked us to tell you not to have any psychological burden, and to just show your style to your heart's content," Xian Lin'er also said.
"Alright, let's put the old stories aside for now," Old Lin, seated at the head, said with a smile. "Wang Yan, you've worked hard these past few days, and you've done very well!"
"I dare not take credit; I merely did what I was supposed to do!" Wang Yan was a bit reserved, and his Frowning brows finally completely relaxed. Old Lin had arrived, and he no longer had to be on tenterhooks.
"Haha, there's no need to be modest. The Academy will remember your contributions, and you will definitely be rewarded when we return to the Academy," Old Lin laughed, then looked at Zhu Ziyang and the other two. "Ziyang, Xiaotao, Nannan, you've also worked hard."
"I was quite relaxed; the matches were mainly thanks to Sister Xiaotao, Nannan, and everyone from the reserve team, hehe!" Zhu Ziyang said, smiling and scratching his head.
"The reserve team's contribution is certainly not small, but for the upcoming matches, you will have to exert more effort!" Old Lin said with a smile, a hint of authority flashing in her eyes. "For the subsequent matches, Ziyang, you no longer need to hide. Fight as majestically as you can! After a long time, some people have forgotten the power and dignity of Shrek Academy!"
"I understand, Old Lin!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. The Academy suddenly sent out four Super Douluo; the intention behind this was self-evident. It seemed that Teacher was truly angry this time. He asked, "What happened to Senior Dai Yueheng?"
"That boy, he's just too reckless!" When Dai Yueheng was mentioned, the faces of the four elders immediately showed expressions of disappointment. Old Lin said, "Rashly killing an Empire Marquis, and a Star Luo Royal Family member at that, he simply has no brains!"
"However, you don't need to worry," Xian Lin'er said. "We have already brought him out. Our Shrek Academy disciples are not for just anyone to judge. However, to show respect for imperial power, Dai Yueheng cannot participate in this Grand Competition. So, only Gongyang Mo and Ling Luochen can rejoin the team."
"Hmph!" Old Song snorted coldly and said, "If you ask me, Dai Hao is truly a spineless coward! When we went to him for the person, he actually spouted nonsense about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, and that imperial decrees are hard to disobey. It's simply the greatest joke in the world! If the successive emperors of the Dai family heard his words, wouldn't they directly crawl out of their graves and beat this unfilial descendant to death!"
Listening to Old Song's complaints, Zhu Ziyang and the others couldn't help but smile, but they also basically understood the whole story of the Dai Yueheng incident.
"So, that Xu Yi should be a pawn pushed to the forefront?" Zhu Ziyang said.
"Nine times out of ten!" Old Lin nodded and said, "The Star Luo Empire's internal conflicts are also numerous. The current Emperor Emperor Xu Jiawei is considered one of the most outstanding in terms of aptitude in several hundred years, and his attitude towards our Shrek Academy is also friendly. Unfortunately, our interests and theirs are ultimately in conflict."
"Where is Dai Yueheng now?" Ma Xiaotao asked.
"He's returning to the Academy," Cai Meier said. "After this incident, he's completely out of contention for Duke White Tiger, and he's also lost his good impression of the Star Luo Empire. In his own words, he plans to stay at the Academy forever."
"This is actually a good thing, both for him and for the Academy," Zhu Zi Yang said upon hearing this.
"Who's to say it isn't?" Old Lin smiled and said, "Alright, that's how things are. You all go back and rest. Gongyang Mo and Ling Luochen will temporarily stay with us."
"Yes!" Zhu Ziyang and the others replied, then bid farewell to Old Lin and the others, returning to the Star Emperor Hotel.
"Ah! This is truly wonderful!" On the way back to the Star Emperor Hotel, Jiang Nannan couldn't help but stretch lazily and said, "Old Lin and Teacher are here, I feel like my confidence has increased tenfold!"
"Indeed," Zhu Ziyang also nodded and said, "Now, I can finally participate in the matches!"
"That's right!" Wang Yan smiled and said, "Our tactical arrangements will also be much easier to make. In the upcoming matches, we must make everyone remember what the true Shrek Academy is!"
Three days passed quickly. On the evening before the start of the third stage of the Grand Competition, Wang Yan gathered the Shrek Academy team for a strategy meeting.
"The elimination round's bracket has been released," Wang Yan said, his expression as serious as ever. Although Zhu Ziyang, Gongyang Mo, and Ling Luochen had joined, he had already grown accustomed to this demeanor. "Our opponent for the sixteen-to-eight match is an old rival: the Douling Empire's First Academy, Douling Royal Academy."
"Douling Academy!" Ma Xiaotao's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, but it quickly vanished, and her expression became eager, saying, "I didn't expect to encounter such a strong opponent so quickly. Very good!"
"Sister Xiaotao, is Douling Academy very strong?" Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
"They were a top four team in the previous Grand Competition, so what do you think?" Ma Xiaotao said.
"That's right!" Wang Yan nodded and said, "The Douling Royal Academy's main team members this year consist of five Spirit Kings and two Spirit Ancestors, making their strength very formidable. More importantly, the Douling Royal Academy is not rigid; although it is a high-level Spirit Master Academy, it is also the Douling Empire's best Soul Engineer Academy."
Through observation of them, I discovered that almost all of their participating members possess spirit tools and can skillfully utilize them in matches. At the same time, at least two of them are true Soul Engineers. With the strength of a Spirit King combined with spirit tools, this opponent is not easy to deal with.
Of course, you don't need to have too much psychological burden. After all, in the third stage of the competition, we have Ziyang as our trump card!"
Upon hearing this, the reserve team members immediately looked at Zhu Ziyang. Zhu Ziyang smiled faintly and said, "It doesn't matter, I will make a move!"