After the conversation ended, Yu Xiaogang pulled Yu Tianheng outside and spoke to him privately.
"Tianheng, since Tianxin is destined to be eliminated, why don't you act as an intermediary and try to recruit him into the Shrek Academy?"
Yu Tianheng's lips twitched. "Uncle Xiaogang, are you serious?"
"In the history of the Soul Masters Tournament, there has never been a precedent where a member of an eliminated team was recruited by another team. Moreover, no one in tournament history has ever served two teams simultaneously."
Yu Xiaogang smiled faintly and said, "If Tianxin joins us, he can replace Hongjun. At that point, we'll have an entire team of Soul Ancestors. You should know the results achieved by such teams in previous tournaments."
In the Soul Masters Tournament, most teams consisted of several Soul Ancestors alongside one or two Soul Masters. Full Soul Ancestor teams were rare in past tournaments. Teams with such a lineup often secured top-three finishes.
Yu Tianheng naturally wanted the overall strength of the Shrek Academy to improve, but this idea seemed unrealistic.
Yu Xiaogang patted his shoulder confidently and said, "After tomorrow's match, go and talk to Tianxin. As long as he agrees, I'll handle the rest."
"Alright, I'll do my best," Yu Tianheng replied.
---
The next day
The match between the Shrek Team and the Thunderclap Team arrived as scheduled.
Inside the Seven Treasures Team's rest area, Ke Jie shook his head slightly. "The Thunderclap Team has no chance of advancing."
He was well-versed in the competition rules and understood the direct head-to-head implications.
In previous Soul Masters Tournaments, the Thunderclap Academy had not only reached the finals but even secured top-six finishes.
In this tournament, however, they couldn't even advance from the preliminaries—it was truly lamentable.
"There's nothing we can do about it. The Tiandou Empire zone this year is highly competitive—it's natural selection," Ning Tianchen shrugged indifferently.
Ning Rongrong giggled behind her hand. "It serves them right for being an academy founded by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family! They need to pay for their past actions."
Ke Jie waved his hand dismissively. "Don't say such things outside. The two sects aren't at odds yet—we shouldn't fan the flames."
"For now, the preliminaries are nearing their end. In a few days, our match against the Shrek Team will be the second strong opponent we face. Be prepared to secure first place!"
Yu Die confidently remarked, "Our martial soul fusion technique has already proven its worth. If my sister and I take the field, the Shrek Team might surrender."
"That wouldn't be bad," Chen Huayu laughed heartily. "If we can win while lying down, why bother stepping onto the stage?"
Ning Tianchen grabbed his ear and scolded, "If the Shrek Team surrenders now, it doesn't necessarily mean they're afraid of us. It could also mean they're secretly gathering strength to deliver a fatal blow in the finals."
"Remember this—when a lion fights a rabbit, it still needs to put forth its full effort."
On the stage, the match began.
The Thunderclap Team members were unaware of the competition rules and believed that winning this match would qualify them for a tiebreaker against the Godwind Team.
From the start, Yu Tianxin unleashed his powerful strength, nearly suppressing Yu Tianheng.
However, his teammates were no match for Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others.
Lei Tian's control-type soul skills were completely ineffective against Tang San.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass martial soul had no elemental properties, so when it wrapped around opponents' bodies, it didn't harm his teammates. This allowed him to continuously ensure their safety.
The same couldn't be said for Lei Tian's Spider Martial Soul. The lightning surrounding the spider silk caused paralysis upon contact.
Yu Tianxin was indeed brave, but one person's strength was ultimately limited—he couldn't shake the Shrek Seven Monsters.
In the end, the Thunderclap Team suffered a crushing defeat.
"It's such a pity. The Thunderclap Team has been in poor form recently, losing five matches and dropping out of the top five in total points. Unless other teams give them a chance, they won't make it to the finals."
The commentator's tone was filled with regret. "I hope they can adjust their state in time, win their remaining matches, and pray for a miracle qualification."
After the match, Yu Tianxin and his teammates seemed to have lost their spirits.
The prestige the Thunderclap Academy had accumulated over the past two tournaments had vanished completely.
After leaving the stage, Yu Xiaogang gave Yu Tianheng a meaningful look.
The latter understood immediately and hurried to the Thunderclap Team's rest area.
"Are you here to humiliate me?" Yu Tianxin glared at him, his face filled with resentment.
Yu Tianheng spoke seriously. "Tianxin, I've come to discuss something important with you. Can we step aside to talk?"
Yu Tianxin nodded in agreement.
Subsequently, Yu Tianheng presented his recruitment pitch.
Yu Tianxin didn't agree on the spot, but he didn't outright reject the idea either.
"If you can really get me onto the Shrek Team, I'll consider it carefully."
Being eliminated like this left Yu Tianxin deeply dissatisfied. If he could use the Shrek Academy to "rise from the ashes," he wouldn't miss the opportunity.
Upon returning to the Shrek Team's rest area, Yu Tianheng informed Yu Xiaogang of the situation.
"As long as Tianxin can make a decision, that's good enough. I'll handle the rest."
Afterward, Yu Xiaogang approached Flender and once again inquired about the school uniform matter.
Following today's match, the Shrek Academy's reputation had risen to another level.
More and more people in the audience acknowledged their strength. Selling uniforms at this moment would undoubtedly lead to massive profits.
Flender awkwardly replied, "Xiaogang, just wait a little longer. We can rush production in at most five days."
---
A few days later, the match between the Seven Treasures Team and the Shrek Team was about to begin.
Both teams currently held undefeated records. The showdown between the dark horse and the championship favorites drew countless spectators.
Every seat in the stands was occupied, and even the aisles between seats were filled with viewers.
Early in the morning, the Seven Treasures Team arrived at the venue and was astonished by the scene.
"Damn it, what a loss! If we sold uniforms today, we could've sold not just a thousand sets, but five thousand!" Oscar lamented, clearly frustrated.
Ke Jie glared at him and scolded, "What? Isn't the money from a thousand sets enough for you to eat?"
The profit from a thousand sets, split fifty-fifty, amounted to half a million gold soul coins. With that much money, even eating luxurious delicacies every day would last for half a year.
"Greed spoils the broth," Ning Tianchen added. "But with so many spectators today, the Shrek Team likely won't surrender."
The match against the Shrek Team was scheduled for noon.
Upon entering the rest area, Ning Tianchen elaborated on the tactics he hadn't finished explaining the previous night.
"For this match, Yu Die and Cai Die, you two don't need to take the field."
Ning Tianchen guessed that if they were to appear, the Shrek Team, considering their martial soul fusion technique, might surrender outright.
There weren't many opportunities to teach the opponent a lesson—how could Ning Tianchen let this chance slip away?
"Feng Xiaotian doesn't need to play either. Rongrong and Xiao Ao will both take the field—use a dual-support lineup."
The dual-support lineup provided a significant boost to core battle soul masters. However, it also placed immense pressure on the team's core members.