Douluo Dalu: Starting With Tom Cat
Chapter 196: Team One: Someone Wants to Steal Our Job?

Chapter 196 - 196: Team One: Someone Wants to Steal Our Job?

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong stared in amazement at the split-legged tree by the door, clicking their tongues in awe. What a bizarre sight—who could have created something like that?

Just as the thought flashed through their minds, a cat with only its lower body, long thin legs but no upper torso, strolled in.

"Pfft—hahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter at the sight of such a Tom.

"Is Tom okay? I've got a healing treasure here, hurry and let him take it!" Xue Qinghe descended from the sky on a broomstick, her face full of concern.

After Tom jumped off the broom, Xue Qinghe suddenly felt a strange connection with it—as if her thoughts could command it at will.

She didn't have time to marvel at it, though—she was too worried about Tom.

She knew that the cat held a special place in Shen An's heart. Besides, she had always liked Tom herself. It was only because of her need to hide her identity that she'd resisted the urge to pet him.

When Shen An saw Xue Qinghe, he silently pointed to the long-legged, half-bodied Tom behind him. Xue Qinghe turned to look—and immediately burst out laughing as well.

"Pfft—hahahaha!"

At this moment, Tom looked helplessly at the crowd, his face full of feline embarrassment. So humiliating... he'd completely lost his dignity.

"Brother Xue, what brings you here all of a sudden?" Shen An asked curiously.

"Well, Tom somehow ended up in the palace, so I brought him along," Xue Qinghe said as she flipped off the broomstick.

After all, flying around on a broomstick wasn't exactly elegant—and Xue Qinghe did care about appearances.

"This broom of yours is quite something. You can actually connect with it mentally," she said with a chuckle.

Shen An smiled and said with a feigned sigh, "I was just about to give one to you, Brother Xue. But unfortunately, a magical broom like this can only be used three times."

He handed another broom to her as he spoke.

Xue Qinghe had always treated Shen An kindly. She even wanted to buy him a Soul Bone last time. Though it didn't happen, how could Shen An forget her kindness?

"Only three uses? That's a bit underwhelming," Xue Qinghe thought. "It's basically a flying-type soul tool. Some food-type soul masters can achieve similar effects."

Still, since it was a gift from Shen An, she felt a hint of joy in her heart.

"Haha, then I'll accept it gratefully. I'll be sure to treasure it." She smiled.

Shen An's eyes glinted with amusement. "Treasure it? No way. Brother Xue, you'd better keep it on you at all times. This magical broom lets you fly at a speed one major realm above your current level—for three hours each time."

"Wha–What?! A full realm above? For three hours?!" Xue Qinghe stammered.

She was the heir to Spirit Hall—she had seen countless treasures—but Shen An's words genuinely shocked her.

"Yes. I think even a Titled Douluo could benefit from it."

Xue Qinghe fell silent, feeling dizzy. A level beyond Titled Douluo... wasn't that basically divine?

Such a priceless treasure, and Shen An just handed it over casually. She didn't doubt his words. When she used the broom earlier, she did feel she could fly faster—she just hadn't tried.

She carefully put the broom away, a radiant smile blooming on her face.

"Shen An, I heard from Meng Shenji that he's finalizing the list of participants for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's team. Since we have the time, let's go confirm it today."

"Sounds good. I was planning on going out for a while soon. It'd be nice to settle this in advance to avoid trouble."

Shen An nodded.

Heaven Dou City no longer offered him much fame value. Since there was still time before the Soul Master Tournament, he figured he'd head out for a bit.

Not only to gain more fame value, but also to test the limits of his strength.

Now a Soul Ancestor, Shen An felt incredibly powerful—but just how powerful, he didn't know. The best way to find out? Face powerful opponents.

It would also be a great opportunity to explore new sights and challenge strong foes along the way.

"What? You're leaving Heaven Dou?!"

Xue Qinghe, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing all exclaimed in unison.

"Yeah, I want to go out and see the world. But I should be back by the time the Soul Master Tournament starts," Shen An replied with a smile.

On the way to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong appeared distracted. Having spent so much time living with Shen An, they were reluctant to part with him. But they couldn't stop him from doing what he wanted either.

Xue Qinghe, on the other hand, seemed a bit pleased. Though she initially felt reluctant too, she became a little happy upon realizing Shen An wouldn't be taking Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong with him.

Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Zhi Lin saw Jerry and instinctively winced, silently stepping to the back, unwilling to deal with him.

Meng Shenji beamed with joy. He never doubted Shen An's strength, and upon hearing that Shen An had reached Soul Ancestor rank, his old face practically split with happiness.

"How about this, Shen An? I'll place you in Team One. That way, you can go straight to the finals and preserve your strength to the fullest."

Meng Shenji suggested after some thought.

Shen An's eyelids twitched. Direct access to the finals? No way—that'd rob him of countless chances to show off!

"No, no, Director Meng, I'd much prefer sparring with geniuses from all walks. If Team One gets a bye to the finals, why not place me in Team Two instead?"

He replied immediately.

Meng Shenji and the others looked at him strangely. Most people would fight tooth and nail to get into Team One—Shen An was the first to turn it down.

"Shen An, in battles, a soul master's techniques inevitably get exposed. The more you reveal, the more easily you'll be targeted."

"Once the enemy starts anticipating your moves, your chances of winning drop drastically."

"So, if possible, I still hope you'll join Team One. The lineup is stronger, and with you there, we might even win the championship."

Meng Shenji tried to persuade him sincerely. Having benefited from royal favor, he truly wanted the academy to shine.

If Shen An led Team One to success, it would undoubtedly attract more talented youths to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Before Shen An could reply, a voice filled with pride cut in.

"Director Meng, I heard you plan to let an outsider join our team. We've been training together for a long time—how can you break us up just like that?"

"And joining our team isn't something that can be done through favoritism. At the very least, he needs to beat me first."

The speaker was none other than Yu Tianheng. As the captain of Team One, he naturally wanted to stand up for his teammates.

"That's right, Director Meng. You don't want my grandfather to come have a talk with you personally, do you?" Dugu Yan added, her tone veiled in threat.

Both Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan had Titled Douluo backing them, but Meng Shenji remained unshaken.

He already knew the Heaven Dou Battle Team had lost to Shen An, and given that Dugu Bo had openly supported him, they'd be no help to the pair now.

As expected, before Meng Shenji could reply, Yu Tianheng and the others caught sight of Shen An—and their expressions froze.

It's him?!

Yu Tianheng fell silent. Even though he was now a Soul Ancestor, he still didn't have the confidence to defeat Shen An head-on.

Dugu Yan was even less inclined to speak. Both she and her grandfather owed Shen An a huge favor—he had even helped her evolve her Martial Soul.

If not for her long-standing bond with Yu Tianheng, she might've already thrown herself at Shen An. After all, he was far more handsome than the ordinary-looking Yu Tianheng.

Meng Shenji chuckled. "So, no objections now?"

The entire Heaven Dou Battle Team fell silent. They really had nothing to say when it came to Shen An's strength. The only concern was who would get replaced—aside from Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling, the remaining four suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

Of course, none of them knew that Shen An had no intention of joining Team One.

"Old man, what about Zhuqing and me? Don't tell me we have to go to Team Two?" Ning Rongrong asked at once. If she was going to join, it had to be the best team.

"Uh..." Meng Shenji hesitated. He knew Zhu Zhuqing had trained at the academy before and was just a Soul Grandmaster. That was a bit weak for Team One.

Though Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was formidable, she was still young. She might not be better than Ye Lingling—after all, Nine Heart Begonia was one of a kind across the continent.

At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing spoke. "The strong move forward, the weak step back. One match will make things clear."

She placed great importance on the Elite Soul Master Tournament. After taking the Immortal Herb, her strength had improved significantly—she was confident she could reach level 40 before the competition.

She wanted to use her performance in the tournament to prove herself—and gain more influence in her clan.

Ning Rongrong's eyes gleamed with mischief. Eager to stir up chaos, she said, "Yeah, just fight it out. Zhuqing can take on the agility-type soul master, and I'll handle the support-type."

Shen An's mouth twitched. Ning Rongrong was clearly trying to bully someone. After a few months of training, one punch from her carried hundreds of kilograms of force. What kind of support-type soul master could withstand that?

At this rate, by the time the tournament started, a single punch from her might exceed a thousand kilograms. Even battle-type soul masters would struggle to take that.

Xue Qinghe also looked surprised. Having studied under Ning Fengzhi, she knew Ning Rongrong's personality well. If she dared say this, she must have something to back it up.

But what was that backing? Xue Qinghe instinctively suspected it had something to do with Shen An.

Meng Shenji and the others looked stunned. It was the first time they'd heard of a support-type challenging another support-type to a fight.

Ye Lingling's expression turned grim. What was Ning Rongrong up to? Wasn't this supposed to be a test of support capabilities?

"No way... Is the wielder of the Nine Heart Begonia scared of little ol' me?" Ning Rongrong teased.

Ye Lingling remembered how Ning Rongrong had only been a Soul Grandmaster back in Soto City. There's no way she could've improved that much in so little time.

Looking at Ning Rongrong's smug face, Ye Lingling felt an uncharacteristic fighting spirit rising in her heart.

"Fine, I accept." she said.

The Heaven Dou students silently watched them. Ning Rongrong causing trouble was one thing—but Ye Lingling was joining in too? Two support-types brawling—it wasn't a duel, it was a catfight!

Ning Rongrong beamed and instantly cleared the area. She was ready to duke it out with the so-called top support of the capital.

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