Early the next morning, the competition resumed.
Today, Shrek Academy's opponent was Thunderclap Academy—one of the four elemental academies.
Though their results weren't as impressive as the top three, and they lacked exceptionally outstanding talents, their place among the four major elemental academies was a testament to their strength.
After all, so far, they had only lost to Tianshui Academy and Blazing Academy. The rest of their matches had been either consecutive victories or overwhelming triumphs.
When the time came, everyone gathered on the training grounds.
Yu Xiaogang had also returned, arriving just as the sun rose that morning. After reviewing the recent results, they were quite satisfied with Tang San and the others' performance.
But when they saw the state of Tang San and his teammates, they were stunned.
Flender couldn't help but ask, "What happened to all of you? Your faces are bruised and swollen!"
"Ahem, let me explain," Xiao Tianyang cut in, glaring at Ma Hongjun before he could speak. He stepped forward and said, "They accidentally rolled down a hillside during training last night. That's why they're in such a state."
Yu Xiaogang frowned skeptically and turned to Tang San and the others. "Is that true?"
Ma Hongjun gritted his teeth, about to blurt out the truth—"The real story is—"
But halfway through his words, he met Xiao Tianyang's faintly smiling eyes. A chill ran down his spine as the terror from last night flooded back, as if he were trapped in an unending nightmare.
Swallowing hard, he forced an awkward grin. "The truth is… exactly what Tianyang said!"
The others nodded in unison, while Ning Rongrong and the other girls stifled their laughter, lowering their heads to avoid detection.
In truth, Tang San's strategy last night had been sound. If they had scattered and fled, Xiao Tianyang wouldn't have been able to catch them all in a short time—at least not every one of them.
But Oscar… Oscar should never have picked up that brick.
The consequences were disastrous. Xiao Tianyang's fury was fully unleashed.
In mere minutes, the entire group was beaten black and blue and left sprawled across the training grounds.
Oscar suffered the worst of it—he was even strung up on a tree in the dead of night. If not for Tang San and the others pleading for mercy, he might still be hanging there.
As for why Xiao Tianyang didn't heal their injuries… well, he claimed it was to motivate them.
Of course, he wouldn't admit it was pure revenge—especially after that brick struck him square in the face. "Don't hit a man's face," as the saying goes. A blow to the pride stings far worse than flesh and bone.
Though it had been an accident, Oscar's actions were unforgivable. And since they insisted on being a united front…
Well, collective punishment it was. No exceptions.
Yu Xiaogang was speechless at their flimsy excuse. These injuries were clearly man-made—how could they possibly look like the result of a fall? But since Tang San and the others refused to speak up, he didn't press further.
Shaking his head, he merely said, "Be more careful next time. We're in the middle of a competition."
"Yes," they mumbled, heads bowed, while Xiao Tianyang smirked triumphantly from the sidelines.
Flender, however, saw right through him. Not that he planned to expose it.
His stance remained the same—they had entrusted the team to Xiao Tianyang because they trusted him. Besides, Tang San and the others only suffered superficial injuries. Nothing serious.
"Let's go," Yu Xiaogang said, leading the team to the Great Spirit Arena.
Once in the rest area, Tang San finalized the lineup.
Since their opponents wielded lightning-element spirits, their attacks carried a paralyzing effect. Thus, Tang San took the lead—on Xiao Tianyang's suggestion.
"Blue Silver Grass is a plant," he had reasoned. "It doesn't conduct electricity."
Of course, if the opponent's thunder was overwhelmingly powerful, it could still shatter the grass. But with four spirit rings reinforcing it, Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was far from useless. The odds of it breaking in one hit were slim.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar followed—one a ranged attacker, the other a support. The last two spots went to substitutes Tai Long and Jiang Zhu, chosen for their ability to withstand enemy assaults.
Initially, Tang San had hesitated between Dai Mubai and Oscar. But Xiao Tianyang's reminder made the choice clear: "Ma Hongjun is the main attacker this time. The others just need to hold off one or two enemies."
Though the advice seemed simple, Tang San grasped the underlying strategy.
And the results proved him right.
Once the match began, Tang San used Blue Silver Grass to control the battlefield while Ma Hongjun unleashed devastating attacks. Two opponents fell almost immediately. The rest of the battle was a slow, methodical dismantling—like boiling a frog alive.
This approach conserved their strength and minimized injuries. After all, a hard-fought victory paled in comparison to a steady, controlled one.
From the stands, Yu Xiaogang glanced at Xiao Tianyang and asked, "What do you think of their performance?"
"Passable," Xiao Tianyang replied casually, then grinned. "Though if I were fighting, the match wouldn't have been this 'entertaining.'"
"If you were fighting, would there even be any suspense?" Liu Erlong rolled her eyes.
Back in the Sunset Forest, he had won by stalling—but a win was a win. She had no complaints.
"Teacher Liu, you underestimate me," Xiao Tianyang said, feigning offense. "If you like suspense, I'll give you a proper show next time."
Liu Erlong: "..."
"This is a formal competition," Flender hissed. "Don't cause trouble. And must you always draw so much attention? We've only been gone a few days, and you've already stirred up chaos!"
He was referring to Xiao Tianyang's showboating in previous matches.
"Dean, I have my reasons," Xiao Tianyang said, shrugging. "Besides, my teacher isn't some pushover. If trouble comes, he'll handle it."
"I only acted because he approved."
Flender wanted to argue further but could only sigh in resignation. "I'll never understand you two, teacher and disciple. Fine, do as you wish."
If it were just Xiao Tianyang, his sudden shift in behavior would be baffling. But with Miao Zhenshan in the picture, everything made sense.
After all, this was the same man who had once stood alone against the Spirit Hall's headquarters…
…
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