stonecrandall Chapter 163 Laughing at the Mortal World
Chapter 163 Laughing at the Mortal World
Chapter 163 Laughing at the Mortal World
"Should I go on stage?"
Wang Dong'er was a little confused. She looked at Wang Yan, then at Zhang Lexuan, her big eyes full of doubt.
"What are you wondering about? If you don't step up now, you won't have a chance later in the competition," Huo Yuhao said jokingly.
Jiang Nannan was initially a little nervous, but she quickly calmed down after hearing Huo Yuhao's words. The early stages of the competition were indeed the best time for the reserve team to practice. But what chance would they have in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals?
Faced with a formidable opponent, the seven main players will undoubtedly give it their all!
"Teacher Wang Yan, Sister Le Xuan, could you please replace Ling Luochen and let me play?" Ma Xiaotao felt a surge of envy and jealousy when she heard that her arch-rival was on the list but not her.
Ling Luochen, on the other hand, calmly picked up a cup of tea, blew on it leisurely, and took a small sip.
Ma Xiaotao was furious; this damned nemesis was definitely doing it on purpose!
Zhang Lexuan smiled and looked at the two of them, saying, "Why are you fighting over this, Xiao Tao! There will be plenty of opportunities for you later! As the strongest person, you should save your trump card for later! If we really encounter a team from last year's top eight right from the start, you'll be put on the field without me even having to ask."
"I understand." With Zhang Lexuan around, Ma Xiaotao had no choice but to nod obediently, glaring at Ling Luochen through gritted teeth, and reluctantly leaning back in her chair.
With Zhang Lexuan, the senior disciple of the inner court, around, Ma Xiaotao naturally wouldn't be as disobedient to Wang Yan's arrangements as she was in the original timeline. In many cases, strength and prestige can solve most problems, which is something Wang Yan doesn't possess.
This is why many capable people don't receive respect from others. Because they often can only solve professional problems, but not interpersonal ones.
"The arrangements are settled for now. Once we enter the round-robin stage, we'll adjust the lineup based on the strength of our opponents. If the opponents aren't very strong, we'll prioritize sending our reserve team. This is a good opportunity for you to gain experience, so please take it seriously!"
Wang Yan looked at the seven members of the reserve team with a serious expression, and his tone became much sterner.
"Understood!" the reserve team members replied in unison.
Seeing this, Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smile. The hasty and chaotic situation of the original timeline no longer existed. Instead, there were well-equipped and well-prepared teams, like tigers and wolves. Looking at the more than one hundred participating teams, which one could possibly defeat them?
After the meeting, Huo Yuhao returned to his room alone.
There was no other way. Although Zhang Lexuan wanted to kidnap him, a group of girls from the outer courtyard were very wary, and Ma Xiaotao and Ling Luochen were also secretly stirring things up. In the end, they had to compromise and let Huo Yuhao live alone.
Yes, it's the biggest room of all, with two large beds inside.
Huo Yuhao returned to his room, closed the door, and sat on one of the beds to begin his meditation practice.
After the competition tomorrow, he plans to visit the White Tiger Duke's mansion. There is an old friend he hasn't seen in a long time, and he wants to see him.
He's able to repay some of the kindness shown to him back then.
It wasn't just the Shrek Academy team holding a pre-competition meeting; almost all participating academies were busy arranging personnel and mobilizing for the preliminary rounds.
On the same floor as Shrek Academy, the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was also holding a meeting.
They consistently placed second in almost every tournament, so their treatment at the Star Emperor Hotel was roughly the same as that of Shrek Academy. Their sole purpose in coming here was to defeat Shrek and claim first place.
Inside the conference room, two elderly men sat at the head of the table, with fourteen students seated on either side. The seven on the left were older, while the seven on the right were younger. This was the main team sent by the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy, along with the reserve team to prepare for five years from now.
The elderly man on the left in the first position has a dignified appearance, broad shoulders and a wide back, giving people a very calm and reliable feeling.
He surveyed the room and said in a deep voice, "Based on our observations, two new faces have appeared in the main team of the Shrek Academy's delegation this time. A female student who is about nineteen years old and a boy who is only twelve or thirteen years old."
"We've activated our informant and received accurate information. The boy is indeed only twelve years old. Do you know what that means?"
The fourteen students on both sides remained silent, each looking at the old man with their own thoughts.
The elderly man on the right side of the first seat had a full beard, a tall stature, and short, silvery-white hair like steel needles. He looked fierce and imposing, exuding an aura of authority without anger.
He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and said, "This means contempt, contempt for us! They didn't even use their full starting team, and instead replaced us with a twelve-year-old brat at the last minute. This is looking down on us! I remember clearly that in last year's reserve team, which is now the starting team, they had Dai Yueheng, the heir of the White Tiger Duke, whose strength was estimated to be at the Soul Emperor level. Now they've replaced this key player; it's clearly a blatant provocation! Ma Rulong!"
"Here!" A boy sitting at the head of the starting lineup suddenly stood up. He looked somewhat like the angry old man, with a very burly build and short hair, but without a full beard. His eyes were bright and piercing, and his strong muscles exuded boundless power.
"You absolutely must win this competition! Otherwise, you, the captain, are out of Mingde Hall!"
"Yes!" Ma Rulong's answer was crisp and clear, his loud voice filled with murderous intent.
"Mr. Ma, please don't be in a hurry. I think that young man is quite extraordinary." Sitting opposite Ma Rulong was a reserve team captain who was not yet fifteen years old. He had a handsome appearance, bright blue eyes, and a tall and slender figure. He was a very outstanding young man.
Old Ma frowned slightly, looked at him, and asked, "What do you mean by 'extraordinary'?"
The boy looked at his hands and said calmly, "A boy who can enter the regular team at the age of twelve must have extremely outstanding talent, otherwise he wouldn't be able to convince everyone, and he wouldn't be able to stay in the regular team. The only possibility is that the other members of the regular team highly recognize his abilities. So I think we should not only not underestimate him, but should pay extra attention to this boy."
Old Ma's face flushed slightly as he listened to the young man's words. He naturally understood what the young man meant; his previous words were more to boost morale.
"At his age, he'll probably be participating in the next tournament as well. But, Xiao Hongchen, you'd better focus your energy on Shrek Academy's reserve team. They'll be your real opponents in the next tournament."
Xiao Hongchen finally raised his head and smiled slightly, "Old Ma, my only opponent is myself."
Ma Rulong's face darkened. "Xiao Hongchen, you better behave yourself."
"Brother Ma, I'm being very honest. You guys keep it up, don't let a twelve-year-old boy defeat you. Otherwise, as Old Ma just said, you'll have to leave Mingde Hall, what a pity."
"You!" Ma Rulong's anger surged after being rebuked by Xiao Hongchen's words, but before he could lash out, Old Ma glared at him and said in a deep voice, "Sit down! Now let's start arranging the participants for the first round."