Every head in the lounge turned toward the source of the commanding voice. A middle-aged man, who appeared to be in his forties, was striding toward the center of the conflict. With what looked like no effort at all, he closed the distance in just two steps, placing himself directly between Huo Feng and Kuang Xi.
"It's Manager Ao from the Spirit Arena."
"Looks like the show's over before it could even start."
"What a shame."
Whispers rippled through the crowd. The middle-aged man was indeed Manager Ao, the man in charge of the Great Spirit Arena of Soto. No one knew his exact strength, but it was rumored to be formidable. The loud thud of Kuang Xi hitting the floor had drawn his attention, leading him straight to the lounge.
"Don't you know that private fights are forbidden in the preparation area?" Manager Ao's expression was stern, leaving no doubt that he was serious. "These are the rules of the Great Spirit Arena. If you want to fight, take it to the stage!"
"He started it," Huo Feng said, curling his lip in a dismissive sneer. "I was just defending myself." He didn't care who had shown up. Even if the Heavenly Emperor himself had descended, Huo Feng knew he was in the right and wasn't about to back down.
Upon seeing the manager, however, Kuang Xi's furious expression vanished in an instant, replaced by one of cautious deference.
"Manager Ao, it was my fault. I lost my temper for a moment."
The man called Manager Ao didn't even glance at Kuang Xi. Instead, his sharp eyes sized up Huo Feng before sweeping over the other six members of the Shrek team.
"You're the new team that registered today, aren't you? The Shrek Seven Devils?"
"Yes," Huo Feng replied, his tone clipped and devoid of any warmth.
Manager Ao's brow furrowed for a fraction of a second before smoothing out, as if a sudden thought had occurred to him. The words he had been about to say changed completely.
"Alright, there's no need to argue about it here," he announced. "As it happens, you two will be opponents in a team battle on the main stage today. Whatever problems you have with each other, you can settle them there!"
Oh?
Hearing that their teams were scheduled to fight, Kuang Xi let out a visible sigh of relief. A malicious grin spread across his face; it seemed fate was on his side, giving him the perfect opportunity to get his revenge.
Huo Feng, on the other hand, simply smiled nonchalantly. But behind that calm exterior, his mind was already formulating a plan to thoroughly dismantle Kuang Xi and his team in the arena.
Just then, Manager Ao turned back to Kuang Xi, his expression hardening. "Kuang Xi, if I ever catch you causing trouble on my turf again, don't blame me for not being polite. This is your final warning. Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes! It won't happen again, I promise!" Kuang Xi nodded eagerly, his massive, brawny frame and fawning smile creating a ridiculous and contradictory image.
Seeing this, Huo Feng couldn't help but let out a quiet chuckle. Just as he'd thought, the man was a classic bully—preying on the weak and cowering before the strong.
As if sensing Huo Feng's mocking laughter was aimed at him, Kuang Xi shot him a venomous glare. "Kid, just you wait!"
After spitting out his threat, he turned and stormed away with his team.
Manager Ao then calmly glanced back at the Shrek members. "Since this is your first time fighting here, let me give you a couple of friendly reminders," he said indifferently. "In the Spirit Arena, it's best not to judge your opponents by their appearance."
As he spoke, he gestured with his thumb in the direction Kuang Xi had just left. "That man is Kuang Xi, captain of the Berserker Team. He's a level thirty-eight beast Spirit Master."
At his words, all the Shrek members, except for Huo Feng, drew in a sharp breath. Even Dai Mubai, their strongest, had only just reached level thirty-seven. But there was another, more shocking realization: if Kuang Xi was that powerful, yet Huo Feng had knocked him down with a single punch, just how terrifying was Huo Feng's combat strength?
Noticing their stunned expressions, Manager Ao gave a slight, knowing nod before continuing. "Furthermore, every member of the Berserker Team is a Spirit Elder with strength above level thirty-five."
Now, the faces of the Shrek students turned solemn. On their team, only Huo Feng, Dai Mubai, and Oscar had broken past level thirty. The rest were still in their twenties. More importantly, Dean Flender had specifically instructed them that Huo Feng shouldn't make a move for the first five minutes of their matches.
Could they actually win this?
"The Berserker Team registered here seven days ago," Manager Ao added, his voice low and steady. "They've already achieved seven consecutive victories at the Spirit Elder level. If they manage ten straight wins, they'll be promoted directly to the Bronze-rank. With their power, they'd be considered an outstanding team even among the Bronze-rank fighters."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "You should all pray for good luck. If you feel you're outmatched, I suggest you surrender the moment the match begins. When the Berserker Team attacks, their opponents either end up dead or severely injured."
Manager Ao was only saying all this because he had missed the spectacular sight of Huo Feng effortlessly knocking Kuang Xi down. His voice was just loud enough for the seven of them to hear, while the other Spirit Masters in the lounge only saw him muttering to the new team, unaware of the specific details. They did know one thing, however: the upcoming team battle was going to be an exciting one, and many of them were already planning to go watch.
The Shrek team's battle was scheduled second to last, giving them about half an hour of rest while the first few matches took place. Finally, after the previous team battle concluded, it was their turn.
The seven members of Shrek walked out of the preparation area, coming face-to-face with the Berserker Team. Now, they could finally see their opponents clearly. Kuang Xi, with his robust and imposing frame, walked at the very front. Following closely behind him were two middle-aged men who looked similar enough to be brothers, both with grim expressions and average builds.
Behind them was a seductive woman, the only female member of their team. Her heavy makeup made it impossible to guess her age, but her figure suggested she was over twenty. Her attire was extremely revealing, consisting of little more than a bandeau on top and a skirt so thin it was practically transparent.
The woman shot a flirtatious glance at Huo Feng, who led the Shrek team. She was clearly annoyed when he didn't even spare her a look. Huo Feng had always disliked women who wore heavy makeup and had absolutely no interest in her.
"Hmph!" The woman snorted, a flicker of annoyance flashing in her eyes.
While her charms were lost on Huo Feng, that wasn't true for everyone. Dai Mubai had seen his share of beauties and wasn't impressed. But Ma Hongjun was a different story entirely; the evil fire within him was practically boiling over. He secretly gulped, his mind already filling with inappropriate fantasies.
Behind the woman were two scrawny youths whose eyes darted around restlessly. Walking at the very back of the formation was the team's oldest member, a man who looked to be at least forty. He had an utterly common face, a simple outfit, and a plain demeanor. He was the kind of person who could easily get lost in a crowd, the type you would never look at twice.
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