The next morning.
Deep inside the academy, in front of Liu Erlong's thatched cottage.
Flander stood before the gathered Shrek students and nodded to himself.
"Since our return from the Star Dou Forest, I've given you a day to rest," he said.
"There is only one month left until the Advanced Soul Master Competition. We must use this time to prepare well."
"To help you better understand the competition, Teacher Erlong will explain the rules."
Flander's voice carried across the group.
Xiao Wu and the others turned their curious gazes toward Liu Erlong.
Ning Rongrong muttered softly, "Honestly, it's nothing special. The opponents are just a bit stronger."
Hearing this, the others exchanged looks, their eyes flashing with thought.
Liu Erlong clapped her hands to draw attention and began, "Before I explain the rules, let me introduce a few companions."
As her words fell, four figures appeared before the group.
"Li Pingchuan, aren't you supposed to be calm and collected? Why do you look so excited?"
The flat-topped young man among the newcomers looked at Li Pingchuan in surprise and confusion.
Li Pingchuan had always been arrogant—seeing him like this was a rare sight.
Ignoring the remark, Li Pingchuan shot Huang Yuan a quick glance, then strode straight toward Ma Hongjun.
His eyes sparkled as he looked at him. He had witnessed Ma Hongjun's entire battle at the gate, and he wasn't foolish enough to miss the chance of befriending someone so strong.
Liu Erlong paid no mind to his sudden change in attitude. She simply pointed to him and introduced,
"This one will temporarily join your Shrek team as a substitute.
His soul power is level 38, and his martial soul is the Bronze Tripod. It is a powerful defensive martial soul, and due to its sturdiness, its attack power is also considerable."
She then turned to the other three.
"This is Huang Yuan. His martial soul is Lone Wolf. His soul power has reached level 35, and he is a strong attack-type soul master."
"This is Zun Qionglin, an agility-attack type. His martial soul is Skeleton, and his soul power is also level 35."
"This girl is Jiangzhu. Her martial soul is the Healing Scepter. She is an excellent support-type soul master, also level 35."
"The four of them will temporarily join your team as substitutes."
She finished her introductions one by one.
Ning Rongrong pouted in dissatisfaction.
She didn't like strangers being added to the team. Raising her small hand, she said,
"Teacher Erlong, why do we need them? Our team is strong enough to go through the entire Advanced Soul Master Competition. We don't need substitutes at all."
The little princess's arrogance was plain.
Xiao Wu nodded reluctantly—she, too, didn't want outsiders joining.
Flander, already expecting this reaction, immediately explained,
"There are many experts in the Advanced Soul Master Competition. Injuries are unavoidable in the later rounds."
"If someone is hurt and cannot compete, we will be short on manpower."
"Would you really want to lose the championship because of that?"
His words silenced both Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.
They knew it was true—no matter how confident they were, no one could guarantee coming out unscathed.
At that moment, Ma Hongjun stepped forward, smiling warmly at the four newcomers.
"Hello, my name is Ma Hongjun. Welcome to the Shrek team."
"Let me introduce my teammates."
He gestured toward Dai Mubai.
"This is Dai Mubai, a level 43 strong attack-type battle soul master. His skills include White Tiger Body Barrier, White Tiger Fierce Light Wave, White Tiger Diamond Cover, and White Tiger Meteor Shower."
Dai Mubai gave the four a polite nod.
The newcomers, who had been somewhat arrogant before, immediately restrained themselves upon hearing his level. They returned the greeting respectfully.
Ma Hongjun continued, pointing to Oscar.
"This is Oscar. He's a food-type soul master. His martial soul is Sausage, and his soul power is level 40. His skills are Recovery Sausage, Detoxification Sausage, High-Speed Flying Mushroom Sausage, and Excited Pink Sausage."
Oscar greeted them with a cheerful smile.
The four were shocked into silence.
Even a food-type soul master in this team was that strong?
Oscar gave Jiangzhu a playful wink. His handsome face made the introverted girl blush crimson.
Ning Rongrong immediately snorted.
"Oscar, stop with the peacock act."
She clearly couldn't stand his antics.
Ma Hongjun then pointed to the girl with scorpion-braided hair standing nearby with folded arms.
"This is Xiao Wu. Her martial soul is Rabbit."
Everyone, except Li Pingchuan, looked curiously at the beautiful girl before them.
They had heard of Xiao Wu's reputation—she had beaten many disobedient students before.
But none of them expected her martial soul to be a rabbit.
"Her soul power is level 43. Her soul skills are Waist Bow, Charm, Teleportation, and Diamond Indestructibility."
Xiao Wu only gave a cold hum.
She clearly didn't welcome these newcomers.
Sensing her unfriendliness, they quickly shifted their gaze to the next person.
Their eyes landed on a silver-haired girl with a cool, aloof temperament.
Huang Yuan's eyes flickered with surprise.
What an extraordinary aura.
Gu Yuena cast them a brief glance, then looked away, indifferent.
She had no interest in whether they joined or not.
"This is Gu Yuena," Ma Hongjun said. "She is very powerful, currently level 48."
He didn't elaborate further. After all, Gu Yuena had never revealed her soul skills to them.
The four were stunned again.
She looked only thirteen or fourteen, yet her soul power had already reached level 48.
"This is the eldest sister among our Shrek Seven Monsters," Oscar added with a grin.
He admired her strength deeply. The title of "Big Sister" hadn't come for nothing—it was earned by defeating Dai Mubai.
Hearing this, no one present refuted it.
Li Pingchuan and the others immediately greeted Gu Yuena with respect.
They assumed she was the true core of the team.