After hearing Tang Ya's assessment of Liu Yuan's strength, Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao sat on the wooden stools of the snack stall, an indescribable heaviness pressing down on their chests.
Deep down, they already harbored immense apprehension about facing Liu Yuan head-on in the arena.
That battle five years ago—an almost one-sided crushing defeat—had long since carved itself into their young minds.
And now, hearing the phrase "one-versus-seven sweep" from Tang Ya, who had stayed by Liu Yuan's side for years, shattered their psychological defenses once again.
In contrast to their silence, Wang Donger, sitting off to the side, clearly looked unconvinced.
She curled her lips slightly and looked at Tang Ya.
"Sister Xiaoya, what you're saying is a bit too absolute."
"Liu Yuan is strong, that's true—but we haven't been standing still these past few years either."
"Everyone's been cultivating with everything they've got. No one's been slacking off. Don't let the fact that Liu Yuan treated you well and saved your life make you see him as some kind of omnipotent existence."
"Our current Shrek Seven Devils are completely different from five years ago—both in strength and coordination."
Tang Ya looked at Wang Donger's stubborn expression and simply smiled faintly, offering no immediate rebuttal.
She lifted a hand to tidy the strands of hair blown loose by the evening breeze and replied calmly,
"Donger, I'm not looking at anyone through rose-colored glasses."
"I'm only stating an objective fact—something I've seen with my own eyes."
"Still, it is too early to say much more. When the competition truly begins, and you see him take action yourselves, you'll understand."
Tang Ya glanced up at the sky. The spirit tool streetlamps were now fully lit.
She stood up to take her leave.
"You've only just arrived in the Bright Capital. You should head back and rest early."
"As for properly catching up, we can do that after the tournament is over. By then, I also want to see how much all of you have grown."
She waved to the three of them, then turned and disappeared into the bustling crowd of the Bright Capital.
Watching Tang Ya's retreating figure, Wang Donger was clearly still bothered by her words.
As they walked back toward the hotel, she muttered under her breath,
"Sister Xiaoya is clearly looking down on us. She has no idea how strong we've become now."
Bei Bei walked beside her, a bitter smile appearing on his face.
He looked at Wang Donger and said quietly,
"Donger, you can't really blame Xiaoya."
"You have to remember—five years ago, Liu Yuan was already able to defeat Senior Sister Ma Xiaotao head-on, even with her Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul."
"How old was he back then? Now, five years later, he'll only be stronger."
"We've made progress, yes—but with his talent, his rate of improvement would only be faster than ours."
Wang Donger immediately stopped walking and shook her head firmly.
"Bei Bei, I think you're mistaken."
"The core reason Liu Yuan was able to defeat Senior Sister Ma Xiaotao back then was because he had Fire Immunity."
"That absolute counter gave him an overwhelming advantage."
"If not for Fire Immunity, he wouldn't have been able to win at all. And our current lineup is completely different from back then."
Seeing the faint signs of an argument brewing, Huo Yuhao quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Alright, you two—let's stop arguing," he said seriously.
"Whether Teacher Xiaoya's words are exaggerated or not, one thing is certain: Brother Liu Yuan is our strongest opponent."
"As for whether he truly has the strength to fight one-against-seven, we'll find out when we meet him on the field."
"Speculating endlessly right now will only throw us off our own rhythm."
Bei Bei let out a sigh and nodded.
Then, as if thinking of something important, his expression turned grave.
"After you two go back, absolutely do not mention this to the rest of the team."
"Especially the part about Liu Yuan sweeping everyone."
"If that spreads, it'll deal a devastating blow to everyone's morale."
"What we need is fighting spirit—not fear."
Huo Yuhao and Wang Donger both understood the seriousness of the issue and nodded.
The three had fully intended to keep this matter buried deep inside.
However, reality did not unfold the way they hoped.
When they returned to Shrek's accommodation area at the Yue Lai Hotel, they found Xuan Zi sitting on the sofa in the lobby together with Ma Xiaotao and several other students.
Xuan Zi's expression was grim. His cloudy eyes locked onto the three of them the moment they entered.
It turned out that earlier, while observing the terrain of the Bright Capital from the lobby's floor-to-ceiling window, Xuan Zi had inadvertently seen Bei Bei and the others chatting for a long time at a roadside snack stall.
Although he couldn't hear the conversation, he recognized at a glance the blonde girl they were speaking with.
Tang Ya—formerly of Shrek Academy.
"Stop right there."
Xuan Zi's low voice echoed through the lobby.
The three froze.
Xuan Zi stood up, hands clasped behind his back, walked over, and asked coldly,
"Who were you with outside just now? If I'm not mistaken, that was Tang Ya, wasn't it?"
"What is she doing in the Bright Capital? And what did you talk about?"
Faced with Xuan Zi's relentless questioning, Bei Bei knew there was no way to hide the truth.
Under the pressure of a Super Douluo, any lie would be utterly pointless.
In the end, he could only sigh and recount everything honestly—their encounter with Tang Ya, her experiences over the past few years in the Bright Capital, how she had been saved by Liu Yuan, purified of her evil nature, switched to the path of a Soul Engineer, and joined the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy.
As soon as Xuan Zi finished listening, the anger he had suppressed since the last tournament exploded completely.
He slammed his palm onto the wooden armrest beside him and roared,
"Outrageous! Absolute self-degradation!"
"As the Tang Sect Sect Leader, she received years of training and resources from Shrek Academy. Even if she encountered danger, she should have sought help from the Academy!"
"And now look at her—not only did she refuse to return, she even treats an enemy like a benefactor, joins the Sun Moon Royal Academy, and starts learning those crooked spirit tools!"
"In my eyes, this is the very definition of biting the hand that feeds you!"
"She's betraying the Douluo Continent—betraying Shrek!"
Hearing this, the emotions Bei Bei had been suppressing finally erupted.
Though he respected Xuan Zi's cultivation, when it came to Tang Ya's dignity, he would not retreat.
Bei Bei lifted his head and met Xuan Zi's gaze directly, his tone stiff and resolute.
"Elder Xuan, please respect Xiao Ya's choice."
"When she was in mortal danger back then, it was Liu Yuan who saved her—not the Academy."
"She wants to revive the Tang Sect in a new way—that's her freedom."
"I don't believe repaying a life-saving debt and choosing a path more suited to oneself counts as 'biting the hand that feeds you.'"
Xuan Zi was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected the usually refined and gentle Bei Bei to contradict him so directly—for the sake of someone he already considered a traitor.
He wanted to explode again, but remembering Bei Bei's special status as a direct descendant of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and Mu En's deep regard for him during his lifetime, Xuan Zi ultimately snorted coldly and let the matter drop.
However, when Bei Bei went on to mention Tang Ya's assessment—that Liu Yuan now possessed the strength to sweep all participating teams one-versus-seven—Xuan Zi could no longer remain seated.
"Ridiculous! Absolute nonsense!" Xuan Zi shouted, his beard trembling with rage.
"One-versus-seven sweep? What cultivation level does Tang Ya even have? Does she truly understand what real strength means?"
"She's clearly stayed over there too long and has been completely brainwashed by the Sun Moon Empire!"
"She deliberately said those things just to disrupt your morale—to make you fearful before the match!"
Xuan Zi turned toward Ma Xiaotao and Huo Yuhao, his tone arrogant and forceful.
"Don't listen to that girl's exaggerations. Are Shrek's ten-thousand-year foundation and your transformative progress over the past five years really inferior to one single Liu Yuan?"
"Utter nonsense!"
"Such words meant to disturb the mind are not to be mentioned again!"
"What we must do is crush that so-called 'myth' of Liu Yuan—right there on the field, in front of the entire continent!"
Xuan Zi's roar shook the lamps in the lobby.
Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao exchanged glances.
Outwardly, they remained silent.
But the shadow in their hearts did not disperse with Xuan Zi's fury.
They knew very well—Tang Ya had no reason to lie.
And that mountain called Liu Yuan was far heavier than Xuan Zi imagined.