Wang Yan explained the round-robin tournament format in great detail (and quite wordily).
I won't elaborate on the details here.
Simply put, the sixty-seven teams were divided into eight groups. Five groups had eight teams, while the remaining three groups had nine teams.
Each team would participate in seven rounds of the tournament. Advancement was based on a points system: two points for a win, one point for a draw, and no change for a loss.
After the seven rounds, the teams would be ranked according to their accumulated points. The top sixteen teams would advance to the next round, the Sweet Sixteen knockout stage.
Tomorrow, Shrek Academy would face its first round-robin match.
"Unlike the team battles in the knockout stage, the round-robin tournament has three formats: in addition to team battles, there's also the two-two-three battle method and individual combat," Wang Yan explained. "So, we need to plan our tactics in advance!"
Everyone exchanged glances, their expressions puzzled.
Tactics?
Did they really need to discuss this?
Everyone present knew perfectly well that they were essentially just accompanying the main players. With Lin Yun and Ma Xiaotao, just the two of them could sweep through all three battle formats.
Team battle, seven in one second.
Individual combat, sweeping seven opponents.
The two-two-three format could also secure two wins without a doubt, not even needing the third match.
And for this... they still needed to discuss tactics?
Wang Yan also noticed their indifference and smiled helplessly. "I know you have great confidence in Lin Yun and Ma Xiaotao, but as the trump cards of our Shrek team, they should participate as little as possible. Otherwise, it will be easy for other academies to target them!"
"Teacher Wang, I admire your rigorousness and seriousness regarding the competition, but you lack understanding of the power of Extreme Martial Souls," Lin Yun said casually.
"You don't understand the extent of my and Ma Xiaotao's combat power, nor do you understand that it's impossible to target us. Your worries are completely unnecessary."
"Even if we act casually, other teams won't be able to resist."
During the period of Douluo Dalu II: The Unrivaled Tang Sect, Extreme Martial Souls were the biggest cheat. The words 'Extreme' alone were enough to suppress other martial souls, just like the Clear Sky Hammer and Six-Winged Angel in Douluo Dalu I.
It was fundamentally impossible to target them.
At the same level, Extreme was synonymous with the strongest, and also synonymous with fighting above one's rank.
Even though Ma Xiaotao was only at level 63, she was originally at level 66. After absorbing the Blazing Apricot Cabbage, her soul power was re-compressed to level 62. Her soul power quality and total soul power already surpassed that of most Soul Sages.
Even when facing a Soul Sage who had activated their Martial Soul True Body, Ma Xiaotao could directly confront them. Under an extreme outburst, she could even kill a Soul Sage.
It was just that Shrek's members were all like monkeys, not even knowing how to use useful tools like soul tools. Otherwise, if Ma Xiaotao were equipped with the Tyrant Tiger Refining Soul Blade from the original novel, she could even exchange blows with a Soul Douluo.
With this level of combat power, what could other teams possibly use to fight?
Use their heads to let Ma Xiaotao smash them, to see if the recoil could make Ma Xiaotao's fists numb?
That's just ridiculous.
Lin Yun was even more exceptional. As a player who never held back, his combat power was several levels more outrageous than Ma Xiaotao's. A Soul King level Huo Yuhao could already suppress a Soul Sage; Lin Yun had no pressure suppressing a Soul Douluo.
Moreover, he had a pile of soul bones, and his methods were endless; he was a true hexagonal warrior.
There would be no problem saying Lin Yun was a five-ringed Titled Douluo; his combat power could truly rival some weaker Titled Douluo.
When strength reached a certain level, no amount of strategy or targeting could work against it.
This was the might of extremity.
Wang Yan, after all, was only excellent in theory. He knew too little about true cheats, which was why he was so cautious.
According to Lin Yun, what need was there for tactics? Just push straight through, and it would be done.
This wasn't Lin Yun being arrogant; he genuinely had that confidence and ability.
Wang Yan was directly choked by Lin Yun, unable to speak, because he indeed hadn't studied Extreme Martial Souls much. Not to mention that Extreme Martial Souls hadn't appeared on the Douluo Continent for thousands of years, just Lin Yun and Ma Xiaotao right in front of him were beyond the scope of an outer court teacher to research.
In Wang Yan's perception, although Lin Yun and Ma Xiaotao were strong, their strength was limited. If other teams put effort into targeting them, they could still succeed.
"Lin Yun, aren't you being too arrogant?" Wang Yan frowned and asked in a deep voice.
"Arrogant?" Lin Yun smiled slightly and gently shook his head.
"Arrogance requires ability, and I just happen to have it!" Ma Xiaotao continued Lin Yun's words, crossing her arms over her chest with an arrogant expression.
Alright.
With both powerhouses saying so, what else could Wang Yan say?
Wang Yan was somewhat aware of his own position. In the original novel, he was always looked down upon by those in the inner court. He was only a Soul King at over forty years old, and his tactics were constantly disrupted by Ma Xiaotao.
If it weren't for Huo Yuhao speaking up for him, his voice in the team would be infinitely close to zero.
Now, Huo Yuhao stood in the corner of the conference room like a mere minion. Since the others didn't have Lin Yun and Ma Xiaotao's strength, they couldn't refute at all. Thus, the tactics for the round-robin tournament were decided.
Go on stage, then crush them!
As for the meeting?
What kind of market meeting? Can a meeting kill the opponent? Can a meeting make the opponent surrender as soon as they step on stage?
Ultimately, it still comes down to strength.
In the original novel, you guys had meetings every day, but I didn't see you strategically crushing the opponents. In the end, you still had to rely on Huo Yuhao's cheats. If meetings were useful, Huo Yuhao wouldn't have had all those highlight moments throughout the entire competition.
Absolutely useless.
Of course, Lin Yun didn't completely disregard the opponents. Mainly, with the original novel's plot as a foundation, Lin Yun knew what trump cards the stronger teams in this competition had.
He could prepare in advance when matched with these teams, so he wouldn't fall into a passive situation.
With a full map view, is it wrong to be a bit arrogant?
No!
So, let's adjourn the meeting immediately!
In his previous life, he couldn't stand his boss having meetings every day, which is why he finally quit. Now that he had transmigrated, if he still had to listen to meetings every day, wouldn't that be a waste of his transmigration?
Lin Yun put his arm around Xiao Xiao's slender waist and strutted away, leaving the hotel directly to grab a late-night snack in Star Luo City.
Ma Xiaotao also followed closely, going to the top floor of the hotel to enjoy the night view with a glass of red wine.
Only the others in the conference room were left exchanging glances, expressing their helplessness.
Huo Yuhao stood in the corner, silently recalling Lin Yun's extremely confident and sharp demeanor, and involuntarily felt a sour taste in his mouth again.
Damn it, if I had his strength, I'd be even more arrogant than him!
Sour, so sour!
(End of Chapter)
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