Yu Xiaogang stood in the arena, his brow furrowed in deep confusion. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. A persistent, icy chill kept creeping up his spine, making the hairs on his neck stand on end. It wasn't the sensation of killing intent or a hidden enemy, but something far more unsettling. It felt as though countless pairs of eyes were secretly watching him, dissecting his every move from the shadows.
He wasn't the only one feeling this strange pressure. His disciple, Tang San, was experiencing the exact same sensation.
At that moment, Tang San stood in the center of the training grounds. He was in the process of drawing lots alongside the seven members of the Royal Fight Team and the remaining members of the Shrek Team. On the surface, everything appeared calm. The students around them wore normal expressions, and the proceedings seemed to be going smoothly. Yet, Tang San felt a general sense of profound discomfort that he couldn't quite place.
This unease stemmed from a stark contrast in behavior. In the past, whenever the students of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy looked at the Shrek members, their gazes were filled with arrogance and disdain. They looked down on the Shrek team as country bumpkins. But today, the atmosphere had shifted completely. Not only did no one show that familiar look of contempt, but they actually seemed to be actively avoiding making eye contact with him. It was as if he had become invisible, or worse—something that shouldn't be looked at directly.
This sudden change in attitude took Tang San by surprise. He was smart, but he couldn't possibly guess the bizarre rumors currently circulating through the academy.
He had no idea that half of the entire Heaven Dou Royal Academy student body now firmly believed a scandalous theory: that Tang San had yielded to the twisted desires of his teacher, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. In their eyes, Tang San was a victim. They believed that, constrained by the high pressure and authority of his Grandmaster, Tang San simply dared not resist. He had no power to say no, so he had silently endured the humiliation until the secret was exposed.
However, the other fifty percent of the students held a different, even more shocking view. They believed that Tang San was completely, utterly willing.
Their logic was simple: What man could endure such humiliation if he didn't want it? If he wasn't willing, Tang San surely would have risen in defiance by now. Although Tang San was currently considered the weakest member of the Shrek Team in terms of raw power, his spirit power had already broken through level thirty, making him a Spirit Elder. In contrast, his Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang, was stuck at level twenty-nine, a mere Spirit Grand Master. If it came down to a fight, Tang San would have absolutely no problem resisting his teacher.
Since he hadn't resisted, and since they were still together, this group of students concluded that Tang San must be enjoying it. He was probably incredibly happy about the arrangement. In their minds, there was nothing for him to resist because he was a willing participant in this taboo relationship.
Among the crowd, Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun stood sweating nervously. They were the true "eyewitnesses" who had started this entire mess. Their view aligned with the second theory—that Tang San was willing—but they had a much greater say in the matter than the general student body who were just guessing. Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun felt they had evidence because they had sensed something was "off" from the very moment Tang San and Yu Xiaogang entered the Shrek Academy grounds.
If the second scenario were true, it would explain so many of the strange interactions they had witnessed over time.
However, the situation was escalating far beyond their control. It seemed like everyone in the academy now knew about it. Although Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were the first to know about this "explosive event," they were currently terrified of taking responsibility for the rumors. It was clear that Tang San and Yu Xiaogang were still in the dark; they didn't know that their reputation as a master and disciple pair had been completely twisted.
But secrets like this don't last forever. They would surely find out soon. When that happened, if it was discovered that Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun were the ones who spread the news, it would be incredibly troublesome. Even though Tang San and Yu Xiaogang couldn't physically threaten them in a fight, the fallout would ruin the team's dynamic and affect their reputations.
Because of this fear, Dai Mubai had repeatedly cautioned the chubby Ma Hongjun. Even though Ma Hongjun was practically bursting with the urge to gossip, Dai Mubai warned him to keep his mouth shut and never admit they were the source.
Right now, Ma Hongjun looked like he was suffering from internal injuries. His face was flushed, and his body shook slightly. Unlike the other students who avoided looking at Tang San out of awkwardness, Ma Hongjun wasn't looking because he was struggling desperately not to laugh. He knew that if he saw Tang San's innocent face and replayed the "scene" he thought he overheard outside the door, he would lose his composure on the spot and burst into hysterical laughter.
The atmosphere in the arena was thick with weird energy. Even Huo Feng, the captain of the Royal Fight Team, found it hard to suppress the twitching corners of his mouth. He really hadn't expected the relationship between Tang San and Yu Xiaogang to have developed to such an outrageous extent. It was simply too wild. The world of Spirit Masters was strange, but this seemed to be developing in a completely wrong direction.
A sudden thought occurred to Huo Feng as he watched the clueless pair. If Tang San's father, the legendary Tang Hao, knew that such a thing had happened between Yu Xiaogang and his son, the man would probably be so angry he would pass out from sheer rage.
"Cough, cough."
Just as the silence was becoming unbearable, the teacher Qin Ming let out two light coughs. The sound broke the strange tension and eased the awkward atmosphere in the arena. The students around them snapped out of their various fanciful thoughts and gossip, turning their attention back to the matter at hand.
"Since all members of both the Shrek Team and the Royal Fight Team are present," Qin Ming announced, his voice steady and professional, "the draw for today's team battle officially begins!"
After Qin Ming finished speaking, everyone nodded in agreement. Immediately, he began to organize the draw, but he adopted a unique method for this specific session.
Due to the inclusion of the Shrek members, specifically Tang San, the total number of participants from both sides had reached fifteen people. In a standard team battle, you need even numbers. If fifteen people were simply divided into two groups, one side would have eight members while the other had seven. This would create an unfair advantage and wouldn't serve the purpose of training.
Therefore, Qin Ming had a flash of inspiration. He had thought of a solution to ensure the battle remained as fair and educational as possible.
His plan was simple: from the total fifteen people, he would select the one with the lowest strength ranking to be "benched." This person would not participate in the initial draw. The remaining fourteen people would then draw lots normally, dividing themselves into two teams of seven. Once the teams were formed, Qin Ming would analyze the "paper strength" of the two groups. Finally, the benched member would be assigned to the weaker of the two groups as a reinforcement.
In this way, the combat power of both sides would be balanced. The weaker team would get an extra person—an eighth member—to compensate for their lack of raw power compared to the stronger team.
Among these fifteen talented youths, the member with the weakest combat power and the lowest ranking was undoubtedly Tang San. Despite his hidden weapons and tactics, in terms of raw spirit power levels and direct confrontation capability, his weakness was almost universally acknowledged by everyone present.
On the other hand, there was no dispute about who possessed the strongest combat power. That title belonged to Huo Feng. He was strong in a unique way, practically in a league of his own compared to the others.
Qin Ming had calculated everything clearly. As long as Huo Feng was assigned to one group, that group would almost certainly be the "stronger" team. Consequently, the other group would need the additional assistance. This assistance would come in the form of Tang San. Although Tang San's level was low and wouldn't have a massive impact on the overall battle, this grouping method was the most logical way to balance the odds.
With this plan in mind, Qin Ming looked at the students and spoke slowly.
"Since there are a total of fifteen people from both sides, one person must be selected to be benched before the draw," he explained. "The benched member will not participate in the random drawing of lots. Instead, after the teams are formed, they will be assigned to the weaker side after I evaluate the strength of both teams."
As soon as these words were spoken, the students took a moment to process the rules. After a few breaths, they all nodded. It made sense logically.
However, Tang San stood there with a slightly blank expression. He didn't seem to fully grasp what this implied for him personally.
Just then, Qin Ming's voice rang out again, directly addressing him.
"Tang San, it has been decided that you are the benched member. Please wait to the side; you don't need to participate in the draw."
???
Tang San was utterly bewildered. A series of question marks seemed to float above his head.
"It has been decided?" he thought to himself.
Who the hell decided this? He hadn't even fully sorted out the rules in his head yet. He was just listening to the explanation, turned his head for a second, and suddenly his fate had been sealed. Did this mean he was the "spare tire"? The one filling the gap?
Although Tang San was very confused and felt a bit slighted, he respected the teacher's authority. He didn't argue and silently walked to the designated spot on the side.
As he stood there alone, watching the others prepare to draw lots, he recalled the specific rules Qin Ming had just mentioned.
The benched member is the one with the lowest strength ranking.
Tang San's expression suddenly stiffened. The realization hit him like a brick, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably twice.
This rule... this couldn't be just about picking a random person. It was about picking the weakest person from everyone present, wasn't it?
The logic was undeniable. If Qin Ming had picked a strong person like Huo Feng or Dai Mubai to be the extra member, it would completely disrupt the balance no matter which side they joined. An eight-person team with a powerhouse would crush the seven-person team. But picking the weakest person would have a much smaller impact on the balance.
Plus, Qin Ming had explicitly said the extra person would join the weaker side later.
Tang San stared at the ground, stunned. Wasn't that exactly what the teacher was thinking? That he, Tang San, was the weakest link?
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