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Every morning, at the entrance of Seven Treasures Academy, Ning Rongrong would wait here punctually for Ning Tianchen's return.
Seeing this scene, Yu Die couldn't help but tease, "Rongrong, if you keep staring like that, you'll turn into a 'Husband-Waiting Rock.'"
Ning Rongrong blushed and murmured softly, "That's not true. I just want to see Brother Tianchen as soon as possible."
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was barely audible.
Yu Die tugged on her arm. "Come on, there are no training classes today. Let's go shopping in the city. Besides, didn't Ning Tianchen send word that he'll be back in a month or two?"
"Fine... okay," Ning Rongrong reluctantly gave in and followed Yu Die and her sister into the city.
Elsewhere in the academy, Feng Xiaotian gazed toward the city, muttering to himself, "I wonder how he's doing. When he comes back, his strength should have improved even further, right?"
The fact that Ning Tianchen hadn't returned to the academy for so many days meant that the cultivation site provided by Dugu Bo must have been greatly beneficial for him.
Feng Xiaotian was ten years older than Ning Tianchen. If the latter caught up to his level of cultivation, it would truly be embarrassing.
It's worth noting that Feng Xiaotian had recently become a disciple of Ke Jie.
Under his teacher's guidance, Feng Xiaotian's self-created soul skill had easily surpassed the thirty-sixth consecutive strike threshold. Moreover, the speed of his progress had increased significantly compared to before.
Now, all they were waiting for was Zhu Zhuqing and Chen Huayu to break through to the Soul Venerable rank, and then they could participate in soul battles.
After the official start of the school term, many students had challenged the two of them.
Through constant battles, their strength had improved rapidly.
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Suotuo City
Having experienced both triumphs and setbacks, the Imperial Team approached this journey with far more stability than in the original timeline.
Even when facing opponents weaker than themselves, they no longer underestimated them as they once did. Instead, they meticulously planned before each match to ensure a secure victory.
"Our first battle in Suotuo City will be against the Rage Team," Yu Tianheng informed everyone.
Yu Feng turned to face the group and said, "I've already checked. The Rage Team is the hottest team in the Suotuo Grand Spirit Arena, with only one loss in their entire fighting career."
"You're quite the birdbrain, aren't you? You're practically a fortune-teller," Oslo teased with a laugh.
Yu Feng shot him a glare. "Don't interrupt. I simply asked the Grand Spirit Arena about their situation beforehand. Aside from the Rage Team, there's another team that has never lost since participating in team soul battles."
"Their first fight was against the Rage Team."
Yu Tianheng stroked his chin and analyzed, "From the information we've gathered, the Rage Team is an extremely tough opponent in terms of both team strength and the coordination between members."
"A newly formed team defeating them in their first fight suggests that this team must be extraordinary."
Recalling their previous crushing defeat, the members of the Crown Battle Team still felt a lingering sense of frustration.
The team Yu Feng mentioned seemed to follow the same trajectory as the Seven Treasures Battle Team, but it remained unclear whether their strength surpassed that of the Seven Treasures Battle Team.
"Yu Feng, what's the name of this team? Suotuo City is our final stop. Before returning to the academy, we can't afford to leave any regrets," Dugu Yan pressed.
Yu Feng thought for a moment.
The name of the team was somewhat awkward, but he vaguely remembered it.
"It sounded like something called 'Shi Da Kē'… No, no, it's Shi-something…"
"'Shǐ Da Kē' (Big Turd)?" Oslo's lips twitched involuntarily.
Who would actually give their team such a ridiculous name?
Qin Ming, who had been quietly observing everyone, couldn't help but interject, "Isn't it Shrek?"
He hadn't expected that Shrek Academy, years after his graduation, would manage to form a seven-member team and achieve such impressive results.
"Yes, yes, it's the Shrek Team!" Yufeng quickly confirmed.
Qin Ming took over the conversation, "Tianheng, continue leading everyone in discussing tactics. I'll head to the Grand Spirit Arena and try to arrange a match between your team and the Shrek Team."
After all these years, he wanted to see what Shrek Academy had become.
Leaving the rest area, Qin Ming didn't head to Shrek Academy or look for the arena's manager. Instead, he began wandering around the Grand Spirit Arena.
Not long after, he spotted Flender leading his team in a soul battle. However, Flender either didn't recognize him or wasn't paying attention to him.
Years after graduating, Qin Ming had never returned to the academy, nor had he sent a single letter.
Perhaps out of guilt, he didn't approach Flender to greet him.
After Qin Ming left, Flender suddenly turned around and looked at where Qin Ming had stood, gradually becoming lost in thought.
"This aura feels familiar… Why can't I remember where I've felt it before?"
Just as he was pondering, Tang San's voice came, "Principal, what are you thinking about? Our soul battle is about to begin."
Flender shook off his thoughts and responded with a smile, "Let's go watch your soul battle."
---
Qin Ming didn't bother watching the Imperial Team's fight.
As the leader, he clearly knew that whether in terms of raw strength or theoretical power, the Rage Team was no match for them.
Standing on a bridge outside the Grand Spirit Arena, Qin Ming leaned against the railing and gazed up at the night sky.
Back when he studied at Shrek Academy, he often came here to clear his mind.
He faintly remembered that on the day he learned Shrek Academy wouldn't qualify for the Soul Master Tournament, he had sat here alone for an entire night. It wasn't until early the next morning that Flender found him and brought him back to the academy.
Now, he didn't know whether Shrek Academy had gained approval from the Balak Kingdom's Ministry of Education.
If not, what would happen to the academy's seven-member team?
Back then, counting himself, Shrek Academy only had three students. Missing the Soul Master Tournament was regrettable, but it wasn't a lifelong tragedy.
This generation of juniors had managed to form a seven-member team. If they weren't qualified to compete, the tragedy that befell him might repeat itself for them.
Thinking of this, Qin Ming quickly began calculating in his mind.
First, with his abilities, he couldn't directly help Shrek Academy deal with the Balak Kingdom's Ministry of Education.
Although he was a Tian Dou Imperial Academy teacher, he held no noble title and was essentially still a commoner. Helping Shrek Academy through official channels was impossible.
Suddenly, Qin Ming recalled that the Tian Dou Royal Academy had two spots for teams in the tournament.
Bringing Shrek Academy under the umbrella of the Tian Dou Royal Academy would not only solve the issue of qualifying but also provide Flender and the other teachers with a decent future.
"If it weren't for Principal's teachings back then, I wouldn't be the Qin Ming I am today."
Qin Ming's filial heart surged.
Upon reflection, he believed this plan was feasible.
The three teaching commissioners of the Tian Dou Royal Academy had good relationships with him, and Flender and the others were strong enough to bolster the academy's overall strength.
With this in mind, Qin Ming quickly pulled out paper and pen and drafted a detailed proposal on the spot.
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