At this moment, Xuan Zi, Dai Yueheng, and the others from Shrek were staring fixedly at Liu Yuan, discussing him. The resentment, shock, and unwillingness in their gazes were almost palpable.
Liu Yuan and his teammates naturally sensed it.
After all, with so many intense gazes fixed on them, it was hard not to notice.
"Pfft—" Meng Hongchen was the first to lose her composure, covering her small mouth as she giggled.
Her bright, lively eyes darted back and forth between Xuan Zi and Liu Yuan, filled with mischief:
"Brother, look at that Xuan Zi; his face has turned green with anger."
"He's still holding a chicken leg, but he looks like he wants to chew the bone to pieces and swallow it. It's hilarious."
Xiao Hongchen's mouth also curled up wildly. He had the closest relationship with Meng Hongchen and Liu Yuan.
Naturally, he knew the whole story of how Liu Yuan was driven away by Xuan Zi that day, and how the people from Shrek had later run over like clowns to recruit Liu Yuan.
Therefore, combined with Xuan Zi's expression at this moment, the siblings guessed his current psychological state almost instantly.
"That's for sure."
Xiao Hongchen waved the folding fan in his hand and said with a gloating expression:
"Think about it. He was the one who personally drove Brother Liu Yuan away, and he cursed him so harshly."
"But then he turned around and discovered that the 'peerless Genius' he had gone to such great lengths for, even going so far as to have a Core Disciple like Dai Yueheng humble himself to beg for his return, was actually the person he had driven away."
"It's like someone throwing away an heirloom from their own home as scrap metal, then paying a high price at an auction house to buy it back, only to find out it was the very thing they threw away…"
"That feeling—if it were me, I think I'd want to die."
At this point, Xiao Hongchen paused, suddenly waved his hand at Meng Hongchen, and said with feigned seriousness:
"However, that's not entirely fair to say."
"We should actually be thanking that old fool Xuan Zi."
"If it weren't for his 'blindness,' Brother Liu Yuan would be standing on Shrek's side right now."
Xiao Hongchen glanced at the calm Liu Yuan beside him, a flash of relief in his eyes:
"If Brother Liu Yuan became our opponent… tsk tsk, that would be a huge problem."
"By then, the ones crying would probably be us."
Hearing this, Meng Hongchen also nodded in agreement:
"That's true! Come to think of it, Xuan Zi is actually our great benefactor!"
The siblings chimed in together. Although their voices were lowered, the irrepressible laughter filled the previously tense and serious preparation area with a joyful atmosphere.
However, the main team members beside them, like Ma Rulong and Mi Jia, were completely confused.
Although they had a good relationship with Liu Yuan now, they were unaware of Liu Yuan's past experiences, especially the grudge between him and Shrek.
"Um… Junior Brother Xiao Hongchen."
Ma Rulong scratched his head and couldn't help but ask:
"What are you talking about? What 'blindness'? Did the Captain… have a conflict with Shrek before?"
Hearing this, the other team members also curiously gathered around.
Even Liu Yuan just smiled helplessly and did not stop Xiao Hongchen from explaining.
These things would have to be known sooner or later. Rather than hiding them, it was better to reveal them openly; it might even inspire everyone's fighting spirit.
Seeing Liu Yuan's silent acquiescence, Xiao Hongchen cleared his throat and began to recount with great enthusiasm.
From Liu Yuan being targeted and expelled by Xuan Zi for refusing to join the Supervision Team, to Liu Yuan later coming to Sun Moon Academy, and then Shrek's "blundering recruitment."
Xiao Hongchen described it vividly, especially highlighting the contrast between Xuan Zi's high-and-mighty attitude at the time and his later desperation for talent.
After hearing all this, Ma Rulong and the others were stunned.
"Holy crap!"
Even the usually steady Mi Jia couldn't help but curse:
"Is that Xuan Zi's brain filled with water? Expelling the Captain for such a reason?"
Lin Xi was so angry that he slammed his fist into his palm:
"That's bullying!"
"That despicable Shrek!"
But immediately, the eyes of the group became incomparably solemn.
Within their hearts, there was an added sense of shared hatred and a determination to vent for Liu Yuan.
"So there was such a layer of connection…"
Ma Rulong took a deep breath and looked at Liu Yuan with burning eyes:
"Captain, in that case, we have one more reason to win this championship!"
"Not just for the glory of the Empire and the honor of the Academy…"
"But even more so to vent this anger for you!"
"Exactly!"
The other team members chimed in one after another, rubbing their fists and palms, their eyes burning with fierce Battle Intent:
"We must definitely slap Shrek in the face for the Captain!"
"Let them know that driving the Captain away was the stupidest decision they ever made in their lives!"
"Make them regret it to their very bones!"
Liu Yuan looked at his impassioned teammates, and a warm current flowed through his heart.
He nodded gently, a confident arc curling at the corner of his mouth:
"Then I thank you all."
And just at this moment.
On the high platform in the center of Star Luo Plaza, a loud, clear voice transmitted through a sound-amplifying spirit tool across the entire venue, interrupting everyone's conversation.
"Quiet!"
An old man in a black robe appeared on the high platform; it was the Chief Referee of this tournament.
He scanned the dense crowd of participating teams in the plaza and said in a deep voice:
"I am the Chief Referee of this All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament."
"Now, I will read out the rules of this tournament to you all."
The noisy plaza instantly quieted down.
"There are a total of one hundred and thirty-three representative teams from various countries across the continent participating in this tournament!"
Hearing this number, many students participating for the first time gasped. One hundred and thirty-three teams meant that thousands of elite Spirit Masters had gathered here; the intensity of the competition was self-evident.
The Chief Referee's voice continued to ring out:
"In order to screen for the true powerhouses, the first round of the preliminaries will adopt the most brutal—elimination system!"
"The rules are simple: two teams will engage in a team battle, seven versus seven! The loser is directly eliminated! Pack up and go home!"
"There are no second chances! Only the winners can continue to remain on this stage!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole arena was in an uproar.
The first round is a life-or-death battle?
For many small academies that had traveled long distances just to make an appearance, this was simply a bolt from the blue. If they happened to run into a strong team like Shrek or the Sun Moon Team in the first round, wouldn't that be delivering their heads over a thousand miles?
The Chief Referee seemed very satisfied with everyone's reaction and continued:
"Due to the large number of participating teams, it is expected that the first round of the elimination tournament will last for three days."
"Only the teams that pass through this brutal baptism of the first round will be qualified to enter the next stage of the round-robin tournament."
"As for the specific rules of the round-robin tournament, after you survive these three days, I will naturally tell you."
After speaking, the Chief Referee waved his hand, pointing to the huge lottery box in the center of the high platform:
"Now, enough talk."
"Captains of each academy, come up and draw lots!"
"The moment to decide your fate has arrived!"
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"