"Sorry, Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang, your students are insufficient to become substitutes for my Emperor Team…"
Reading the contents of the letter, Yu Xiaogang felt his mind go blank, as if a hammer had violently smashed his forehead.
His vision darkened, and he staggered back onto his bed.
It wasn't until he collapsed onto the mattress and felt the pain from his swollen face that he began to react slightly.
Yet Yu Xiaogang still wore an expression of utter disbelief.
"This can't be! This can't be!"
He muttered to himself, refusing to believe such a thing could happen.
After all, he was a Grandmaster!
He had mentioned in the letter that he could perform a Seven-Way Fusion Technique.
A technique capable of significantly enhancing team strength — could Qin Ming really not care about that?
This was a super-powerful skill he had spent his entire life developing!
Even if the Emperor Team didn't value Ma Hongjun and the others' abilities, could they completely ignore the Seven-Way Fusion Technique?
For Yu Xiaogang, no matter how much Qin Ming looked down on Ma Hongjun and the others, he could tolerate it.
But to look down on his Seven-Way Fusion Technique? That touched his "reverse scale" — his ultimate pride.
How could anyone not be interested in a Seven-Way Fusion Technique?
In fact, Qin Ming had been very interested in it at first.
The Canghui Academy already knew the Seven-Way Fusion Technique, but theirs involved the fusion of similar martial souls.
Ever since Xiao Lin and the others had brought back the celestial herbs,
the strength of the Emperor Team's members had surged, and the attributes of their martial souls became increasingly distinct.
And the Seven-Way Fusion Technique, at its core, was about merging others' spirit power into one person to unleash extraordinary power.
However, the spirit power from others, now that their martial soul attributes were more obvious, carried their own elemental characteristics.
Qin Ming could not allow Dugu Yan's poison to enter someone else's body.
The same went for Yu Tianheng's lightning or Xiao Lin's flames.
Of course, this also stemmed from Qin Ming not knowing that Xiao Lin could withstand all types of spirit power.
Because the Emperor Team members were individually so strong and had completely different attributes, this technique would lose its meaning.
Naturally, Qin Ming rejected it.
Additionally, once Qin Ming learned the spirit power levels of Shrek Academy's junior students,
he initially considered them geniuses, but now?
Not so much anymore.
Even Ning Rongrong, the student with the lowest spirit power level, had already reached the Spirit Sect rank.
So what need did he have for his juniors?
Wait for the Academy Tournament seven years from now?
Ridiculous — even Qin Ming couldn't imagine what Xiao Lin and the others' strength would be by then.
"What exactly is going on?"
Yu Xiaogang's face was flushed, and he didn't understand. He looked up at Flender.
"Qin Ming was very enthusiastic at first."
Seeing Yu Xiaogang's expression, Flender also felt helpless.
"Qin Ming said that even their weakest students are already above level forty. That person is Ning Rongrong of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect. She evolved the Seven Treasures Glazed Tower into the Nine Treasures Glazed Tower — and she's only twelve this year."
Flender felt a heavy weight on his heart.
He had originally believed that with Yu Xiaogang's arrival, Shrek Academy could make a splash at the tournament.
After receiving Qin Ming's praise for his students, his confidence had swollen.
He even considered merging with Liu Erlong's Blue Tyrant Academy to compete for the top four.
Perhaps there was even hope of joining the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and when his students mentioned they came from Shrek Academy while becoming champions, he'd be satisfied.
Yet who knew, Yu Xiaogang went straight to Qin Ming himself.
And then was rejected.
If Flender had gone, perhaps Qin Ming might have given him some face and not rejected him in writing.
This was what Flender thought.
He had been wavering between Blue Tyrant Academy and Heaven Dou Royal Academy, so he hardly had the authority to criticize Yu Xiaogang.
Still, Flender ended up apologizing to Yu Xiaogang.
Flender sat on Yu Xiaogang's bed, looking perplexed.
"Xiaogang, let's just wait for the next Academy Tournament."
Finally, after exhaling roughly, Flender said helplessly.
"Impossible… I've already decided to…"
Yu Xiaogang had wanted to speak about Xiao Lin and the others, but because of the martial soul backlash, he couldn't say anything.
After a long while, Yu Xiaogang steeled his resolve again.
"Level forty-something? So what? They're just support-class spirit masters. No matter how strong their boosts are, can they surpass my Seven-Way Fusion Technique?"
"We have two years. Let's go to Blue Tyrant Academy now and find the remaining three students with decent talent."
"As long as they train under me, they'll be completely transformed — not inferior to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
Yu Xiaogang was like someone injected with adrenaline, growing braver the more setbacks he faced.
In the end, he blindly trusted his running-based training method.
Confident he could defeat the Emperor Team.
Flender, standing beside him, didn't dare argue.Although he felt Yu Xiaogang was a bit delusional, overall, the outcome seemed positive.
Even if Shrek Academy couldn't shine at this Advanced Academy Tournament, there would be a next time.
On this point, Flender remained confident.
"All right, Xiaogang, since you say so, after the New Year we'll go to Erlong."
Flender nodded in agreement.
"New Year? Why wait until the New Year? We can go now."
Yu Xiaogang's red, swollen face seemed suddenly full of vigor, making Flender doubt if he was looking at the same person.
"Xiaogang, you've accepted Erlong?"
Flender was curious. Yu Xiaogang had previously refused to go to Blue Tyrant Academy — what had triggered this change?
"We'll discuss Erlong later. This tournament, I must let Ma Hongjun and the others bring glory to Shrek Academy."
Yu Xiaogang said righteously, though inwardly he was seething at Xiao Lin and Tang San.
He wanted to vent his anger in front of Xiao Lin and Tang San.
If Xiao Lin and Tang San knew his teaching ability, Yu Xiaogang could still accept them as disciples, since their spirit rings had been chosen correctly.
By then, he'd be a master producing outstanding students.
A true Grandmaster.
Yu Xiaogang thought to himself.
His three papers had already proven he was a true master, but without powerful Hall of Fame spirit master students, he still felt incomplete.
Ma Hongjun naturally had that potential.
Oscar, a food-type spirit master with innate max spirit power, also had potential.
Even Dai Mubai, now that he chose Netherworld spirit beast spirit rings, definitely had potential.
But still, Yu Xiaogang's heart yearned for the innate-max spirit power idols Xiao Lin and Tang San.
Well, Tang San could be given up.
But Xiao Lin…
In Yu Xiaogang's eyes, he was the son of his idol, the next "Haotian Douluo"!
If he could become the teacher of the next "Haotian Douluo," he would die without regret.
As long as he humiliated Xiao Lin…
As long as he humiliated Xiao Lin…
Ah…
Yu Xiaogang had already begun daydreaming the dreams he thought of every year.
(End of Chapter)