MTLNOVEL Chapter 224: Change
Zhongli's return was most exhilarating for the contestants.
At this moment, the arena was intense, with everyone striving to impress Zhongli.
If they were lucky, receiving even a bit of guidance from Zhongli afterward would be a blessing beyond measure.
And if their luck stretched even further and they were accepted as Zhongli's disciple—that would truly be a miracle worthy of ancestral gratitude!
"Brothers, give it everything you've got!"
"Even though we're already on the verge of elimination and have no chance of advancing, we mustn't give up. We are not inferior to anyone!"
With the captain's rallying cry, the team glanced at the figure seated in the VIP area, their eyes involuntarily twitching.
"Classic you, Captain. We're just your tools to show off, aren't we?"
Who was the captain? As teammates, they knew him all too well.
This guy was a total slacker. Joining the competition was merely his way of padding his credentials.
If he managed to shine in this tournament, the gap between them would grow unthinkably wide!
"Don't worry, Captain!"
"I understand that everyone's path in life is different. I am walking on the righteous path of my life..."
"Even if it's riddled with thorns..."
"Captain, you are the strongest among us. You've always protected us and helped us grow."
"Today, let me protect everyone!"
"Captain, my will is unshakable. Even if they defeat my body, they can't crush my spirit. I..."
Audience: "0.o"
These slackers—was this necessary? They hadn't shown this level of passion before!
The captain's lips twitched slightly, feeling a bad premonition.
"They've caught on," he thought to himself.
"Whatever. I'm still the strongest!"
His position as captain was solely due to his superior strength.
"As vice-captain, I bear significant responsibility for our earlier failures!"
Captain: "???"
"Today, I will no longer run away. I will fight for our team, for our academy, and for all of you!"
The vice-captain's passionate declaration left the team speechless.
"You'd better mean it!"
Although their thoughts differed, their goal was clear—to defeat the opposing team and prove themselves.
Coincidentally, the other team shared the same determination.
"Your words are admirable, but words alone are not strength."
"I will prove with my power that a true warrior is not just about eloquence!"
"Third Soul Skill: Wolf Berserk!"
"My goodness! This contestant is opening with their third soul skill. How determined must they be to do this!"
"This is a thousand-year soul skill with significant energy consumption. It seems this contestant aims for a quick resolution!"
The commentator passionately narrated the action.
Deep down, he knew the truth: this fierce competition was only because the Martial God Douluo had returned.
The previous matches had been exciting but restrained—rarely pushing to the brink or revealing trump cards.
Now, however, the participants were leading with their aces. Whoever hesitated would lose!
"How strange. I know these two teams—they were slacking off before..."
Paimon muttered quietly, her eyes filled with confusion.
Zhongli might not have watched the matches during his absence, but Paimon had been there from start to finish.
If not for accompanying "Xue Qinghe," she would have preferred to stay in the Crown Prince's manor or Zhongli's residence rather than watch this competition.
Calling it thrilling? She didn't understand what was so exciting about it.
Calling it dull? The crowd's cheers were undoubtedly genuine.
Paimon was baffled, feeling lost.
Though she spoke softly, those around her were all seasoned individuals with some level of power.
"Classic Paimon—always calling it like it is."
The nearby individuals nodded in agreement. Their experience allowed them to discern these contestants' true states.
Who were the "true dragons," and who were merely filler? They could tell.
Of course, even the filler contestants had relatively low impurity levels to make it this far.
In the resting area, a group of people glanced toward the VIP section, momentarily at a loss for words.
It was that group—those few individuals.
Their decisions had brought Shrek Academy to its current state!
If not for Du Bafang's intervention, Shrek Academy wouldn't have been so miserable even under Tang Hao's meddling.
If not for Zhongli's interference, Du Bafang would not have been able to stand against Tang Hao's power, and Shrek Academy would still be in a better position.
"Xue Ye, Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, Zhi Lin—you won't escape accountability!"
"As for Zhongli and Du Bafang, at least they didn't act proactively..."
There was no choice. These two individuals were simply too terrifying. Without absolute strength, it was best not to entertain certain thoughts.
"Alright, some matters are beyond your grasp right now. Let go of those unrealistic ideas, focus on training, and wait for the right opportunity. That is what you should do," Liu Erlong said calmly.
Did she not want revenge?
The "Shrek Academy" in Heaven Dou City had been her labor of love for so many years!
Now, it lay in ruins.
Unfortunately, even someone like Yu Yuanzhen only dared to go after Flender, a Spirit Saint, let alone her.
Support from others can crumble—it's unreliable. The only choice is to rely on oneself and work harder.
"Understood!"
The group responded in unison, quickly pulling their thoughts back to the present.
In this Spirit Arena, who knew how many were watching, waiting to see them fail?
"Today, you're up against Blazing Academy. Be cautious. After all, it is one of the established academies."
"Yes!"
Even Ma Hongjun, who usually loved to boast, refrained from making a retort this time.
If this had been before he endured his humiliating defeat, he would surely have said:
"Blazing Academy? Let them witness whether my fire burns hotter than theirs."
But after coming so close to seeing Shrek Academy wiped out, he had matured considerably, becoming quieter and more reserved.
In Ma Hongjun's eyes, much of what happened was due to his loose tongue.
Had he not run his mouth, the incident might never have occurred.
"Ma Hongjun, this wasn't your fault. Boss Flender never blamed you, and neither do we," Liu Erlong reassured him.
Though already in his forties, Liu Erlong knew Ma Hongjun's situation inside out.
Since the incident, he had even stopped visiting "those kinds of places."
When Dai Mubai invited him last time, he declined under the pretense of needing to train, rejecting Dai Mubai's "duo queue" proposal.
"I understand, Teacher Erlong," Ma Hongjun replied, nodding.
His tone was calm, his eyes clearer than ever, but his overall state seemed subtly off.
Under normal circumstances, without the aid of the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Ma Hongjun becoming an evil spirit master would have been inevitable.
It was his inherent nature—one that would have been difficult to change without a transformative event.
Otherwise, how did Ma Xiaotao appear thousands of years later?
Ma Hongjun and Bai Chenxiang had no direct descendants.
While Ma Xiaotao's martial soul, the Evil Fire Phoenix, was undeniable, it was a "refined" version of the martial soul.
In other words, in the original timeline, even after Ma Hongjun "reformed," he failed to completely alter his habits. This is how his bloodline persisted into the Douluo timeline.