Flender mulled over the ridiculous offer. He knew exactly why the arena was so desperate to get Tang San into this match. The boy had only won a single fight in his entire time here, and even that was a fluke. His opponent had been a slow, defensive Spirit Grandmaster who had just reached level twenty. Tang San had only won by slowly wearing him down, a victory so pathetic it had genuinely worried the arena's management. They had been on the verge of matching him against support-system Spirit Masters just so he wouldn't lose every single time.
Tang San's current popularity had nothing to do with skill. It was because he occasionally provided the audience with a bizarre spectacle. No one came to watch him fight seriously; ninety-nine percent of the crowd was there purely for entertainment, to see what new way he would find to lose.
The arena's plan was simple: create a "strong-weak" collaboration. In this day and age, a standard team of powerful fighters was boring. But pairing an undefeated champion with a complete clown? That was a show people would pay to see, and many of them at that.
Flender understood their thinking perfectly. Still, the Great Spirit Arena was being incredibly bold. Weren't they putting a little too much faith in the Shrek Team? Including Tang San in the lineup was a purely negative move. This meant that their expectations for Huo Feng were astronomically high. They were betting that the absolute core of the Shrek Team was strong enough to carry a completely useless member against an elite opponent.
In his heart, Flender already had his answer. He shared their faith in Huo Feng. Although the opposing team was strong, as long as they were still at the Spirit Elder level, they posed no real threat to a monster like him. As for Tang San, all he had to do was not mess things up too badly.
During his brief deliberation, Flender had already decided which student Tang San would replace. Arbitrarily swapping out a team member could easily lead to gossip and resentment, so the choice had to be strategic. He decided that Tang San would take Ma Hongjun's place.
There were two reasons for this. First, although his disciple Ma Hongjun participated in every team battle, his actual contribution was negligible. He was often in a dispensable position, so replacing him would have the least impact on the team's overall performance.
The second reason was Yu Xiaogang. The Grandmaster had been a thorn in his side for weeks, constantly bothered that his precious disciple wasn't getting a chance to fight in the team battles. He had even approached Flender specifically about it not long ago, but Flender had brushed him off with a flimsy excuse. Yu Xiaogang had been furious.
Now, this was the perfect opportunity. It would finally allow Yu Xiaogang to see the true level of his so-called proud disciple. Let Tang San get beaten down in a high-stakes match. Maybe then he and his master would finally be content with him being a substitute, and Yu Xiaogang would stop pestering him. You can only carry as much water as your bucket can hold. For someone like Tang San, gaining some fame as a spectacle was the best he could hope for. The fact that Yu Xiaogang still deluded himself into thinking the boy could follow a path of strength was laughable. He just had to look at Tang San's pathetic state to see he had no real strength to speak of.
Besides, the conditions offered by the Soto Fighting Arena were incredibly generous. Most importantly, Flender felt this match was a crucial opportunity. Money and points were nice, but the experience his students would gain was invaluable. Well, all of them except Tang San. Facing a Silver Spirit team so highly valued by the arena, a team with optimal spirit rings, was a training opportunity that could only benefit the Shrek Team.
Flender slowly nodded. "I can agree to it," he said to Manager Ao. "However, the student known as 'Shrek Eight' is not very stable. We can't control what he might do on stage. If something happens that negatively impacts the Soto Fighting Arena, I cannot be held responsible."
A helpless look crossed Flender's face. He was telling the truth. There was no telling what kind of explosive nonsense Tang San might pull in the Central Spirit Arena. At this point, though, Flender's psychological endurance was so high that nothing the boy did could surprise him.
"Hehe, don't you worry about that," Manager Ao replied with a smile. "The Great Spirit Arena has considered all possibilities. We value his ability to create a spectacle. We don't care about the impact. As long as it generates popularity, it's a win for us. In fact, the more explosive, the better!"
"Please prepare the opponent's information for me," Flender said. "I will go and gather my disciples."
"No need to trouble yourself," Manager Ao said, waving his hand. "Let our staff bring them here. I have the opponent's information ready for you. You can discuss strategy, and then I will escort you all to the Central Spirit Arena."
With that, Manager Ao quickly turned and left, clearly in a hurry to report the good news to his superiors and begin preparations. There was still a full hour before the team battles began, more than enough time for the arena to make the necessary arrangements.
Not long after, the Shrek Team was brought into the room by the staff. Zao Wou-Ki and Yu Xiaogang followed along, proving that the arena had been keeping a very close eye on their entire group. The students all looked bewildered, having no idea what was going on. They were only told that their individual and duo matches for the day had been canceled before being led here.
Seeing that everyone was present, Flender announced the news. "Tonight, the Shrek Team will be fighting in the Central Spirit Arena."
He deliberately left out the part about Tang San's participation. Upon hearing the news, the students erupted with excitement. They had all dreamed of fighting in the main arena, but they never expected the opportunity to come so soon.
Only two people in the room looked displeased: Tang San and Yu Xiaogang. From their perspective, Flender's announcement had nothing to do with them. If it has nothing to do with us, why did you call us over? Tang San was particularly annoyed. He had been preparing to fight for his second-ever victory in a one-on-one match. Now, that chance was gone, and he was here just to watch his teammates have all the glory. What a joke.
Noticing the gloomy faces of the master and disciple pair, a slight smile curved Flender's lips. "Your opponents for this team match will be very strong," he said, letting the tension build. "Unlike our previous battles, I will be making a small personnel adjustment to the lineup."
As soon as he said this, the students grew quiet, a little confused. No one had ever been replaced before. Even Tang San and Yu Xiaogang didn't react, as the thought of Tang San actually participating was too outrageous for anyone to consider.
Under everyone's bewildered gazes, Flender slowly stated his final arrangement.
"For tonight's match in the Central Spirit Arena, I plan to have Tang San start in place of Ma Hongjun. Ma Hongjun will be on the bench as a substitute."
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